Sashimi
by silversurf4
Summary: At the end of a long day, at the end of a long week, Charlie decides to take the next step...in Life and love.    Rated M for sexually explicit later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Sashimi - CHAPTER ONE**

Three days and nearly 65 hours of continuous work had netted them nothing in their newest murder case. They'd long since blown past the magic 48-hour period of time during which most homicides were solved. Sure the wrap up usually took weeks, sometimes months, but usually homicides that were going to get solved - did so - in the first two days. It was why they worked so hard during those first 48 hours. Both Detectives were dead on their feet and their weariness made their idiosyncrasies, tempers and habits hard to hide. Tomorrow was their day off and they both needed one.

"Let's get take out," she offered as they were headed toward what promised to be yet another all-nighter on this case. She was convinced it was slowly sucking the fun out of both their lives. They were spent physically, emotionally and the synapses in their brains were firing slow enough Dani was pretty sure she could see them spark.

By the time they'd been on it for 72 hours, with no sign of progress, it was driving both of them to distraction. Neither of them had seen the inside of their respective homes in the past two days for longer than it took to shower and change their clothes. For the first time, since she'd laid eyes on him, Charlie Crews could actually be described as "scruffy looking" and it was not a look she liked on him.

She could tolerate Tidwell's abject refusal to abide by the dress code and his almost religious objection to a razor, but Crews didn't look right when muddled. He seemed more a distraction to her at this point than the case.

Not being home in three days meant not getting laid in three days and Dani's imagination roamed in ways that would make a sailor blush. She desperately wanted to fix Crews' tie or use it to drag him into the staircase and kiss the smirk off his face. She imagined Crews' rusty stubble chaffing the sensitive skin of her throat and thighs. Impure thoughts that she shook off the minute the visual appeared. Dani wasn't stupid – she knew the man was attractive. She just didn't realize he was attractive to her - until now. Or more aptly put, until now - she'd been able to bury that impulse, that attraction in strangers; people like Kevin Tidwell who regardless of the impropriety, who were safe - because she could never fall for them.

Her pale partner with his lean looks, blue eyes and those freckles could be her undoing and she knew it. And from time to time, she'd look up and find his Zen armor slipping and want burning through those icy blue eyes, coloring his features – want of her. The fact his desire reflected hers made it worse, for both of them.

Charlie Crews, unbeknownst to his partner was suffering a similar dilemma. Something about being this close, for this long made him incredibly attuned to his partner. Shower and fresh clothes or not, he could smell her, taste her – _or maybe he just wanted to._ The bead of sweat that clung to the back of her neck at her hairline became like the nectar of life. He imagined the salt of her sweat on his lips as he kissed her roughly like he knew she liked. The metallic tang of her blood under his tongue, as his lips bruised her mouth...

"Crews," she snapped, "did you hear me? I said did you wanna get take out?" Her irritation at him evident in both her tone and look. Ire tinged her tone and her face was twisted in a frown he wanted to erase with bliss and serenity. He couldn't make her learn it, but he was absolutely sure he could give it to her - for about 20 minutes.

"Yeah, sure," he said softening both his tone and his eyes, hoping to penetrate her distraction. "Reese," he questioned, "how about we actually take time away and get a meal?"

Dani hadn't considered this. She cocked her head to the side and examined the stack of records on her desk and the monitor full of crime scene photos that had thus far stymied them like errant travelers seeking El Dorado. Her gaze wandered to her partner with his Pacific blue eyes, blonde lashes and was overcome by her weakness for her fair-haired partner.

"You drive," she commanded as she broke contact and stared at the floor while she grabbed the coat she didn't need - to distract herself. Little Miss Understood waited for her taller counterpart to move but when he didn't, she cast a look his way.

_Oh, don't do the look_ he thought, _don't give me that coy little girl under the long dark lashes look_, he thought and his heart skipped a beat when she did. The sigh was audible, that part he couldn't control, but he covered well. "You feeling okay? You never let me drive."

"You have to drive," she said simply, sounding tired. "Your idea, so you're the only one who knows where we're going," she offered as the walked together toward the elevator. She meant for him to choose. She was giving him both control and options. The air was suddenly crackling with possibilities and he remained quiet, but nodded his understanding.

Charlie, she'd learned, when tired got really quiet. Quiet Charlie she liked more than Regular Charlie with the false smile and animated 'talking but saying nothing' conversational mask he wore on other days. He seemed more real to her when he was too tired to pretend. Or perhaps, she dared think, it was just that he no longer felt the need to pretend with her. That prospect brought a small smile to her face.

"See feel better already," he offered mistaking her smile for joy at being out of the stifling office atmosphere.

Although, she reasoned - they were better in the field, in the open, without the constraints of its desks, computers and forms. They were both best with people, broken people – like themselves. It was what made them good police detectives; they could relate to people in crisis, at their most dire and often on the worst day of their lives – it was where they both felt comfortable. Raised in the crucible of chaos, slaves to the twin gods of prison and battery; or drugs and addiction – these were known quantities and familiar companions to them both. Not their choice, just the cards they were dealt, but ones they chose to keep rather than discard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sashimi - CHAPTER TWO**

Charlie pulled to a stop in front a Japanese restaurant. Dani shot him a look that said _I'm not dressed for a date, let's grab a burger_, which Charlie responded to with an audible, "its better food AND it's better for you."

She shook her head at his ability to divine her meaning from a simple look and climbed from the car. _They were getting too good at this_ she thought ruefully. She knew she'd live to regret getting this close to Charlie Crews and if she didn't her father told her - each and every time she saw him. His hatred for her partner was pathological – you'd have thought Crews put him in prison instead of the reverse. Because no matter how much her partner denied it and strove to keep it secret from her, Jack Reese's reaction at the family dinner table told her everything she needed to know about her father's role in Crews wrongful incarceration.

As if he could tell her thoughts, he queried, "what?"

_He couldn't know…could he? _She stared at him, but said nothing in response.

Charlie knew when Reese was not going to talk and he accepted it. In some areas he pushed, but here he was patient – he relaxed and let her come to him. He had to he reasoned - for Dani Reese could not be made to do anything. She was quite possibly the most stubborn person he'd ever met, but he considered that she had a golden flip side; she was fiercely loyal and that more than made up for her intransigence. He just smiled that soft, sly smile that said _I know what you're not saying _even though he didn't know anything - beyond the fact that he enjoyed trying to figure out what she was thinking.

They settled for a dark quiet booth at the back of the restaurant. The hostess offering to seat them on the same side made Dani scowled and Charlie smile.

He waved the girl off lying, "she's a messy eater," with a conspiratorial wink.

Dani did a double take, but accepted his comment without a return volley, as she shrugged out her coat and turned to find Crews holding it.

"Stop doing that," she glowered. "This is not a date."

"No, no it's not, but that doesn't mean a gentleman can't be courteous to a lady," he excused his chivalry and ignored her feminist outrage.

Everyone assumed that about them; that they were a couple and at first she chalked it up to the fact they were a man and a woman together, but lately she began to realize it was more than that. She was embarrassed to realize the truth in the roofing couple's comment that she really did stand close to Crews, sometimes in his shadow, but always close enough to touch him - although she stalwartly refused to. It was as if physical contact would somehow break the fragile dam holding them apart.

His presence made her feel safe and he did not stand that close to other people she'd noticed – just her. She was unsure if it was ownership, possession because that would be quite un-Zen of him - or just him being protective, something he did a lot but she tolerated well. Lately however, his looks intimated something different, something new, something dangerous for her to think about. And yet somehow the thought of her sidled up to Crews in that dark corner booth with one of his arm draped over her warmed her like a fireplace on a snowy night in the mountains.

She sat down and slid into the booth still distracted by her own errant musings. Crews laid her jacket on his seat and neatly slid into the booth beside her and winking at the hostess, who hurried off before a domestic assault ensued.

Dani's eyes grew wide. His near foot height difference put him in a position where she couldn't effectively scold him without looking up into those sparkling blue mischievous eyes of his. Her mouth snapped shut and she blushed furiously knowing he'd simply acted on what she'd only imagined only moments earlier. There really were days when she thought he could read her mind.

"Crews," her harsh whisper rode the knife's edge of their proximity. He inclined his head as if to say something and then his brows relaxed and he smiled softly.

"Did you wanna sit on the outside?" he joked.

She invoked a patented glared and he completely ignored it, smiling brightly. "Let's order something we can share and not talk about work at all," he continued when she didn't answer.

By the time he'd finished, the waitress appeared – apparently out of thin air because Dani couldn't remember her approach. Right now she was doing her level best to think about food at all, instead of all the naughty things she'd like to do to and with her partner.

"Uh…sashimi," she said the very first thing that came to mind. She wanted the waitress gone.

"Okay," Crews' tone told her he didn't have the slightest idea what that was. "We're just gonna share," he whispered conspiratorially to the waitress. "The lady will have a Coke and I'm just gonna drink water – I'm driving," he joked. The waitress left quickly and he turned to her to inquire.

"Wanna tell me why you did that?" she asked pointedly.

"Not particularly," he teased. She glared at him.

"That Jedi mind trick thing isn't working for you," he quipped, "so why don't you just ask me what you want to know?"

"I just did," she repeated sternly.

"Why I did what? Left the office? Brought us here? Sat beside you? Which what would you like to know about?"

"Yes, all of them," she admitted.

"Okay…first I thought we could use a break. I came here because you like Japanese and people always assume we're together. People can be kind of intelligent about those things…and lately, I was thinking they could be right."

"Oh…" she looked at her lap suddenly self-conscious at his brutal honesty. That took guts to lay himself out there like that. She could shut him down in an instant; they both knew it.

"Hey," he summoned her eyes with his grave tone, "if this isn't okay… I can move," he offered as he put his hands on the table to slide out of the booth.

"Don't," she stayed him with her voice, but it was her hand on his that he focused on.

He gutted the rest out because the option of her shutting him down was a forgone conclusion, but she'd been driving him crazy by all week. "Look I know you and Tidwell aren't seeing each other anymore. I thought maybe there was a reason for that."

"And you think you're the reason for that," she offered.

"No," he said just a hair too quickly. Dani smiled. That was usually her move.

The implacable, unflappable Charlie Crews was uncomfortable – that was a first.

"I stopped seeing Tidwell because…." She started but was unable to finish. The end of that sentence was too personal, too real. It was because she was in love with her partner who just happened to be sitting way too close for when she finally worked up the confidence to say that – if she ever did.

"Because of what happened with Roman?" he ventured, giving her an easy out.

"Yes, because of what happened with Roman," she took the easy out he offered and then rejected it. "And no, not because of what happened with Roman," her eyes sought his looking for something neither could define nor describe.

"You're driving me crazy here," his voice an octave lower than she could take.

He moved to touch her, to brush her hair aside.

"Crews," she warned but licked her lips, badly wanting to taste his, but she didn't move, she didn't flinch. She didn't even look away, "this is a bad idea," she said while simultaneously subconsciously accepting that it would happen; they both wanted it to.

"No, it's not," he assured her. "In fact it's my only idea. It – you – us - is all I think about. I think it's why we can't put this case down. Our minds, our hearts aren't there," he gave voice to their mutual distraction. "They're here," he intimated with a back and forth finger between the two of them.

"So then we'd do this and get back to normal?" she looked away.

"Hey," his knuckle under the chin brought her back to him. "We do this because this is where we both belong – together." She nodded and closed her eyes in assent.

Acceptance – that was what he was looking for. He knew Dani Reese was never going to throw her arms around him and profess her undying love. He might get grudging acceptance, but that was all he needed – hope there could be more.

"But this is not a distraction, not for me. This is real – it always has been." He promised as he covered her mouth with his, brushing tantalizingly close to kissing her. "Do you want me to kiss you Dani?"

"God, yes," she managed an instant before she locked his bottom lip in hers and sucked it into her hot little mouth. The groan that escaped him made her want to climb into his lap right there in that booth. His hand swept into her hair and he pulled her closer under him. Dani's hands were on his thighs before she knew it.

They broke just as suddenly as their fire burned brightly, creating a light and heat too many people could see. She joked against his chest, "never thought it'd take me so long to make raw fish."

"Wanna get it to go?" He felt her nod against his chest. He slid away and offered his hand. "Let's go home."

The waitress approached as Crews pulled a crisp $100 from his wallet and pronounced, "box it," to her tersely. He replaced his wallet and reached for Dani again. He heard her sigh as he possessively draped that long awaited arm over her.

"I wanted to do that for so long," he confessed into her hair. She nodded again.

"You are going to speak to me again someday right?" he questioned lightly.

"What would I say?" she wondered aloud.

"Whatever you want," he spoke a deep truth to her holding her eyes, "you know you can tell me anything." And she did. Crews was still Crews and she could say anything to him. He never dismissed her, laughed at her ideas, judged or belittled her.

"Uh, I think I'm in love with you." It surprised them both that she said it first. "I have been for awhile now," she paused, "…and it scares me. That I could feel that way again…and how quickly it all happened," she confessed quietly.

He did not respond, but his eyes smiled at her as the waitress neared with the boxed sashimi in a colorful plastic bag, neatly ending their conversation inside. They held hands all the way to the car where Charlie grudgingly gave hers up. He unlocked the car with the remote and put Dani in the passenger side gently kissing her before walking around to climb inside. The drive home seemed like it took hours. They didn't talk, but she found her hand inside his again on the ride home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sashimi - CHAPTER THREE**

They broke the sashimi out at the marble island in his kitchen, as their rumbling stomachs let them know eating was a priority and neither wanted rush what came next. "Wanna tell me the draw of raw fish?" he asked.

"You've never had this?" she replied incredulously.

"Of the choices - airplane food, hospital food, school lunch food or prison food, which do you think is the worst?" he smirked at her. "Not a lot of fresh fish there either."

"It's heavenly." Dani was not one for superlatives so he ventured a taste of the meaty looking fish that dangled from her chopsticks.

It melted away in his mouth and Charlie moaned, "Oh, I think I'm in love."

"With me or the fish?" she joked.

They were comfortable together. There was none of that first date awkwardness – he was after all Crews. He arched his eyebrows as she slid a slice of the fish into her own mouth and groaned.

"Let's just hope I can get to make that noise again for another reason later honey," he teased. "It's okay if I call you that, right?" he checked as he took up his own chopsticks and speared a piece of fish with one – before sliding it off the wooden stake with his tongue.

She nodded. "Figures you'd turn even chopsticks into a lethal weapon," she smirked at him. There was a pause as they ate, followed by her asking him a pointed question. "Am I supposed to sleep here tonight?"

"If you want…or I could take you home," he cringed at the thought she might choose the latter option. "How about we don't rush things and just get some sleep first? We're both tired and I know I feel better when you're close… I'd bet you'll sleep better too." Again she nodded.

He sighed relief and she smiled at his insecurity. She wanted him for weeks now and that was just since she'd let herself realize it. She may have fallen for him before that, but just refused to accept that he completely held her confidence and trust. For her those things were essential and built the foundation that allowed her to love. Without those building blocks, sex was just exercise you got without going to the gym.

"Just sleep?" she toyed with their mutual desire.

"Just sleep…" He replied solemnly, "…for now," the mischief in his eyes and smile were contagious and she laughed. "I love your laugh," he confessed quietly, "come on I'll find you something to sleep in."

He went into a cavernous closet as Dani examined the biggest California king she'd ever seen. "You know you could hold tag team wrestling matches in your bed?" she questioned loudly.

"Is that something you'd be interested in later?" he waggled his eyebrows at her as he emerged from the closet with a soft silk t-shirt, adding, "cause I don't play well with others. Turns out I don't like to share."

"Me neither," she intimated that they were to be exclusive when they got to that part of this. "Nice shirt," she commented, "you wear it. I'll take this one," fingering the dress shirt he was currently wearing.

Charlie flung the t-shirt on the bed and began taking his shirt off for her. She watched as he carefully undid the cuffs and rolled them up for her. He untucked and unbuttoned the pale blue shirt and held it out to her.

"Only the best for my girl," he kidded.

Dani took the shirt without comment. Just like that they'd gone from partners to lovers and it was so easy once they'd taken that path. She disappeared into his bath where he quickly heard the sound of the shower running and groaned. Dani Reese was naked in his shower and he'd just promised to only sleep with her.

This was going to be tougher than he'd imagined. Dani could not be forced, should not be forced, she'd come this far almost on her own, so he had to relax, to wait and to let her come to him. He opted to skip the shower for now, knowing he'd need a cold one later. He slipped out of his used t-shirt and shed his shoes, pants and socks.

He had every intention of waiting for her, but as he reclined on the bed and let his eyes close he knew tiredness would overtake him quickly. He slipped into a quiet and peaceful sleep knowing in a few moments Dani would join him and he could wrap his arms around her and have what he held most dear next to his heart.

Dani emerged from the shower with her dark locks curling in the humidity and smelling the shirt she wore. Crews' expensive aftershave clung to the collar and it immersed her in the unique crisp masculine scent she associated with her partner.

The man in question lay on his back on the massive bed snoring lightly. He was exhausted she realized – they both were. She couldn't remember how exactly they got from anxious sexual tension to this, but she was glad they had. She couldn't remember the last time that she looked forward to just sleeping with a man. But she did, with him.

Crews was an enigma to her and yet she knew him best of anyone. She knew he made her feel safe, loved…no more than loved – revered, adored and as clingy and oppressive as that sounded – it wasn't. It was comfortable, safe, warm and he was warm she realized as she slid into bed along side him. Charlie quietly accommodated her presence without even truly waking.

She could have been any of the dozens of girls that he brought to the mansion in the early days, but she wasn't – she was Dani. He murmured her name against her throat as he inhaled deeply filling his senses with her. His hands found purchase on her body in a way that was intimate without being overtly sexual and she slid hers over his chest winding her tanned arms across his torso. Her leg slid between his and he sighed pulling her closer still. It seemed like they'd done this forever; they fit together perfectly.

He held her like a drowning man holds a life preserver and she buried her head in hollow between his shoulder and his chin. Crews' strong heart beat solidly against his ribcage, providing a metronome like rhythm that lulled her to sleep in minutes. She had a fleeting thought of the incredulity of the moment as she drifted off to sleep, but smiled knowing the unexpected was synonymous with Charlie Crews.

In the night he stirred fighting old battles in his sleep, she spoke softly to him calling him back to her and he came willingly. He mumbled her name into her hair and she realized her heart was irrevocably lost to this broken man. She was always a sucker for strays, the fractured and imperfect, believer in the underdog and he was all of these things. He was violent and tender, smart and brutal, angry and affectionate; he was a dichotomy in a single person.

Prison fractured his personality and that experience caused him to sublimate the gentleness and compassion that were at his core. His violent, brutal outbursts were something she could identify with – he had the power and strength to do the things she wished to. He'd had to learn and perform those actions in contravention to his nature, but the scars he bore were both inside and out. He was a kind man, forced to violence to survive. He desperately wanted to leave that behind, but he couldn't - it was part of him now.

She kissed his brow and her silent tears fell on his freckled face. Dani wasn't sure she'd ever loved anyone more and she told him so whispering, "I love you" into his ear as she kissed his face just under his sideburn. He was still wearing a haze of exhaustion as he slurred, "love you Dani," in response and kissed her collarbone, nuzzling her throat. He couldn't have lied if he wanted to; he wasn't even conscious he'd said the words, but she was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sashimi - CHAPTER FOUR**

He woke in the morning before her to find her still wrapped in his embrace, their legs intertwined and her hands in very indiscreet and interesting places. He shifted to observe her sleeping and was rewarded with first a soft contented sigh and then a grumble as he moved away from her. She burrowed closer and his chuckle rumbled through his chest waking her.

"I'm sorry, honey. Go back to sleep." He kissed her brow, but when he drew back her dark eyes were open. Her pupils fully dilated they appeared nearly black and he knew the look she wore meant she was awake and wanted something from him. He just hoped it was something he could give.

The intimacy of their embrace made her immediately aware of her effect on him. "Uh, sorry about that…" he promised. "You do things to me, things I can't really control," his apology was sincere, but unnecessary as she moved against him in ways that could not be misconstrued.

"Thought we were gonna go slow," he murmured as he bent to inhale her scent and his hands roved down her back to her buttocks drawing her closer against him. His brain was slowing down, but his body was off to the races.

"Fuck slow," she laughed. He was in exquisite agony as she ground her pelvis against him in earnest. "Maybe we'll slow down next time," she offered. "Kiss me Charlie. I don't want to wait anymore for what we both want."

He drew back and examined her eyes finding no confusion there. She smiled at him. "I want this. I want you," she affirmed his concern verbally. He leaned in and kissed her gently, sweetly and tenderly before withdrawing again.

"Just remember there's more than one way to do this," he darkened, "and we will try them all." Then he kissed her the way he imagined. Hard, deep and long, thrusting his tongue deeply into her mouth. Both his hands found their way into her hair and he covered her completely with his body. He pushed her thighs roughly apart and sunk his hips between hers and rubbed his erection against her pubic bone and stomach.

Her short nails raked at his back, under the silken t-shirt and she arched into him as he released one hand to work the buttons of his stolen shirt. He swore he'd never be able to wear that shirt again without sporting a day long hard on at the thought of her in it.

She tugged his shirt over his head tousling his red hair and exposing his array of scars. She kissed, licked and explored each with her lips and tongue, while he complained about the number of buttons on the shirt. He settled for ripping it open with buttons flying about the room and Dani's surprise morphed into a predatory smile. He growled his growing need as he suckled at her breast taking it into his mouth and laving it roughly with his hot tongue.

"Quit screwing around Crews. There's time for that later," she stroked his length through his boxer briefs. "Give me what I want, Charlie," she purred. He nearly screamed with want as she put her tiny hands under the waistband of his briefs to grab the length of his shaft and pull him towards her. He wrested her hands away before she undid him right there – just as things were getting good.

He wrestled with her panties and his frustrated growl, made her warn him, "don't you dare tear these off me, Crews." He released her briefly so she could shimmy out of the lacy underwear, which he held onto and inhaled deeply. He wanted to taste her, but she was having none of that. "Later, Crews," she promised as she wound her hands around his waist and pulled him back into the cradle of her hips.

He could feel her heat and wanted to go there and never leave. He kissed her soundly as he entered her and felt her gasp against his lips. "Shhh…" he coaxed, "you know I would never hurt you, honey," he waited as she relaxed and he slid in fully, both of them groaned as hours, weeks, months of want were released in that moment. "I love you," he promised her. Her response was simply "I know."

And he began moving inside her, watching her eyes with intense interest. Her head lolled back and eyes closed as their friction built to a crescendo. He put his hand between them and worked her sensitive nub until she cried out in release. Then he rode that wave until he caught one of his own collapsing against her spent.

As he rolled off her, he told her his hopes and his fears. "You know this changes everything."

Again she simply nodded. Dani Reese could be horribly incommunicative when she desired it. But this wasn't one of those times, as she succinctly stated their dilemma, "When they find out they'll split us up."

"I won't work with anyone else. I have only one partner and it's you."

"I feel the same way."

"I'm not giving you up," he kissed her temple. "I'm never giving you up, Dani."

"So what are our options?" She looked coolly and levelly at him. "Cause I'm not giving you up either."

"Well… it may be news to you, but we have quite a bit of money and a mystery that still needs to be solved. I have a few friends that owe me favors, a certain security expert that kinda owes me and what that won't do - we can buy."

"We?" she inquired with her dark eyes and her sharp tongue.

"We," he stated firmly. They were together now, in every way and they both knew nothing would ever come between them again – not work, not other people, not secrets. They would share everything in a way neither of them had ever experienced before, but one they instinctively knew would be a life long bond.

"You're talking about leaving the life we know and never going back? Seriously?"

"I've done it before and not by choice. I'm talking about controlling our own destiny and not letting them break us up, here or at work. I trust you to watch my back and I will never let anyone hurt you so long as I still draw breath. I promise you Dani, we can do this – together."

"We?" She questioned again in a small voice.

"Yes, we," He smiled and her self-assurance returned.

"Then I say 'we' figure out who framed you for murder and why," she grinned defiantly, "fuck the fallout."

'That's my girl," he whispered against her temple and pulled her onto his chest.

"Do you think we can really get the people who framed you for?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he smiled softly, "but we can do something more important."

He waited until her brows furrowed demanding he explain. "We can make a life together." This time when he kissed her it was the way he'd imagined he'd want to. It was reverent, sweet and chaste for just a moment and then it was deeply personal, blowing past any constraints left in her mind or heart.

When he left her mouth to trail hot kisses down her jaw and neck, she responded, simply, "I believe you," guiding him atop her for a second time within the hour.

Their lovemaking was slow and patient this time, he lavished attentions on her that took time and energy. He seemed determined to make her come unglued. Her hands fisted in the sheets and when that fell short in his hair dragging him away from his ministrations to her hungry mouth.

"God, Crews… you're driving me crazy here. Please don't make me ask you for it."

The inference of his Cheshire Cat-like grin made her scowl, but her vision was so obscured in a haze of need, she just pulled him to her and kissed him soundly. "Do you want to make me mad, Charlie?" He shook his head mutely.

"Then be with me, now," she demanded. That was his girl, pushy, demanding, in control even in bed, but he didn't want it any other way. And she was his girl now, she'd as much as said so.

"I want this Dani. And I want it to last," he sought her eyes with his vow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sashimi - CHAPTER FIVE**

They awoke again midmorning and Charlie stretched like a cat in the sun streaming in the window, considered her a moment. She sat on the edge of the bed haloed by the sun as he dark hair fell down her back. He watched the curves of her body and then decided something important. He sat up suddenly, grabbing her hand and dragging her from bed. "Come on there's someone I want you to meet."

"Crews," she snapped. "It's 10AM on a Saturday. We can't just drop in on someone at this hour. Come back to bed. We can go there later." She kissed him and tried to draw him back to their previous pursuit.

He simply lifted his head and broke their kiss, "no, she'll be there." He said cryptically, "She's always there."

"At least let me shower and change," she pled with his current obsession.

"No, you don't need to change anything," he promised with absolute confidence.

"Okay, but clothes Crews. We both need clothes. You can't go outside without pants. I'm pretty sure it's a rule," she smirked at him.

"Yeah, pants would be good." He said absently, then his gaze drifted to her. "But I don't think anyone would complain if you went just like that."

She rolled her eyes in response and slipped on her jeans. He passed her a clean t-shirt that swallowed her, but a quick knot gathered the loose fabric up neatly, drawing attention to her narrow waist and ample hips.

"God, you're beautiful. You know that right?"

"I need to brush my hair. I don't have on any makeup and you're dragging me God knows where - at the crack of noon - without the benefit of coffee. This had better be good Crews," she pronounced in that terse tone from their early days when she was displeased with him.

"Its something I need to do and I need you to come with me to do it. There's someone I want you to meet."

He dragged her into the car and stopped for coffee enroute to their mystery destination. She waited impatiently in the car for him to emerge with their coffee and he returned bearing coffee and flowers.

Dani's head twisted oddly and caustic comment stayed on her tongue with his comment, "don't worry – these aren't for you. This," he handed her the triple shot mocha, "this is for you." He smiled and laid the orchid bouquet on the backseat of his impossibly expensive fast car.

Dani was curious, but quiet and sipped her coffee in contentment, but as he turned into the Memorial Gardens Cemetery she began very interested in their destination. _Were they going to the Seybolt plot? Did he want her to be as invested in their enterprise as her?_

Charlie seemed to sense her discomfort and reached for her hand, whispering softly, "don't worry, honey. It'll be okay."

"Do you remember me telling you I don't like nicknames?"

He nodded.

"Do you remember me telling you I don't want a nickname?"

"Sure, honey."

"Crews," she growled.

"We're here." He pronounced pulling to a stop under a large oak shade tree. He turned in his seat and looked at her. "Honey is not technically a nickname, it's an affectation." He raised their conjoined hands to his lips and kissed hers. "But if it bothers you…" he offered.

She sighed and he waited. "I…. I guess what bothers me is that it doesn't bother me. Does that make any sense at all?"

"Yes," he replied calmly. She scowled at him.

"You're not helping," she argued.

"No, I'm not helping," he leaned close and captured her lips in a kiss. He meant it to be brief, but he lingered unable to let go and the kiss ended with both of them breathless and resting their foreheads together.

"Come on," he said quietly and released her hand and grabbed the flowers.

She walked slightly behind him still a bit taken aback by their location and he confidently walked to a single grave marked with a light colored marble headstone. He knew where he was going; he came here often. Dani watched as he placed the flowers carefully and then stood and reached for her hand. She was so focused on him – it took her a minute to read the marker. It said "Mary Katherine Crews, Beloved Wife and Mother."

_Holy Mary, Mother of God_ she thought just before Crews spoke.

"Hi Mom. It's me, Charlie. I want you to meet….this is Dani. Dani – mom. Mom was the most important person in my life, until I met you. I just thought you two should meet."

Dani Reese fought back tears as her partner, now lover stood there in the middle of a cemetery with his red hair ringed in sunlight like an angel and introduced her to his dead mother. She was by no means a crier but this was important.

"Charlie, I…" she found herself at a loss for words.

"Shhh," he coached as he gathered her into his chest. "My mom was the only one who believed in me. She never thought I did those things and no amount of evidence would ever convince her. I thought I died when I went to prison and when Jen left it was really hard, but when mom died…. I wanted to die too." He solemnly explained. "I gave up," he continued with his chin resting on her head and eyes focused into the distance.

"I was gone…when Connie found me. She had to come back for months before I'd even agree to see her. Then I sent her away when I found out what she wanted. I wasn't the most cooperative client." He chuckled.

"I'd accepted this was my life – Pelican Bay – those four walls with green latex paint, a metal toilet and an hour in the yard for the rest of my life. I was at peace with it."

"What happened to change your mind?"

"I didn't. Connie worked largely without my help for months and it was only when the system started to grumble that I dared hope she was making progress. They can take that from you, you know? Hope. So I didn't have any because they can't take what you don't have."

They were quiet together for a long time, just the three of them – Charlie, Dani and Charlie's dead mother. It was nice. It was peaceful and it meant something to each of them. As they turned to leave, Dani asked him if he wanted a minute alone. He shook his head, "anything I have to say I've said. I have no secrets from you or her."

Then she surprised him, telling him she wanted a moment alone with his mom. He kissed her reverently and walked to the waiting car.

"Um…I'm not sure what to say or even why I'm doing this except to say… to acknowledge what you already know." She risked a glance behind her, "you raised a good man, a good son. He's been through a lot but I'm gonna make sure he's not alone anymore. I just thought you should know. Umm… that's all." She felt stupid doing it, but couldn't stop herself from saying those things – for Charlie's mom and for herself.

Once she'd verbalized her commitment to Crews, she knew neither of them would ever return to work for LAPD, past wrapping up loose ends. "I wanna go out with a solve. Let's go catch this bad guy," she said climbing into the car. "I want this fucker behind bars before we leave."

He grinned, "anything you say honey."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sashimi - CHAPTER SIX**

They returned to work that morning and without the tension of the past week, their synergy returned. They began to see and make connections they'd missed earlier and a suspect emerged. It was weak, but both of them felt further inquiry held merit, so they took a ride to the man's house where he promptly barricaded himself inside.

In the end the man confessed – on tape, no less – during the negotiation.

"Guess we got the right guy," Charlie quipped.

"Guess we did. Dinner?" she replied smiling.

"Yeah, I could eat," he replied.

It was the end of a long day, made longer by the arrival of the SWAT Team and hostage negotiator. "Send us a copy of the tape?" Charlie asked the incident commander, "so we can put this down as solved."

The man nodded and waved them away as he did a debriefing with the tactical team who were all pissed they didn't get to shoot anyone.

"Guess getting all geared up and sweaty and not getting to take anyone down could be depressing…" he offered lamely, then finished under his breath, "I hate cops."

"Crews, you are a cop. Try to remember that," Dani joked as the walked away.

"Am I? I don't think so. I used to think I was, but now I'm thinking I'm not. Not a cop. Something else, something more than just what I do." He wandered along a disused thought pathway. "I think I'm no longer interested in just being a cop."

"What do you want to be?" She thoughtfully inquired as she sucked on the straw of her watered down Coke.

"Your partner," he smiled. "Not your partner at work; your partner in life. Could we do that?"

"You drive me crazy you know? All this talking about…of course, you're my partner, but what you're saying is that we'd leave all we've ever known and do what?"

"Get married, have kids, live life. I had a few bucks stashed away courtesy of the City of Los Angeles. We could do what we want, be who we want and most importantly we'd be together – always."

"You're serious about this aren't you?"

"What gave it away?" He smiled a sly grin.

"Before…when you said this, I thought," she began.

"We'd just had sex and it was something I say to everyone?" he offered. She blushed and nodded. "It's not. You are not like anyone else. Not to me. I meant every word of it. We'd leave LAPD and never look back." He was quite serious.

In that moment, Dani's career and the reasons for it flashed through her head. The polygraph at the FBI furnishing the internal dialogue for the scene in her head. "_You became a cop because of your father? No… yes, maybe."_

He could sense the conflict in her eyes as it played across them. He'd developed the ability to read her after years of devoted study to the subject. He was mute and still, almost holding his breath until she came to the conclusion they belonged together and out of the reach of the LAPD.

"Let's go. We have a pile of paperwork before this case is in the bag," she watched as he a crestfallen expression briefly crossed his countenance and then gave him what he wanted, "And Charlie? When this is done, so are we – done with LAPD I mean."

His smile could have lit three runaways at LAX all nightlong. He reached for her and then restrained himself – this was work – he'd waited three years he could wait and few more hours. But he watched her lick her lips and smile at the urgency of his yearning.

"Wait for it," she coached seductively.

"I'm going to type so fast - you'll be amazed," he grinned.

"I'll be amazed if you type - at all," she deadpanned.

Things had changed drastically and in some ways nothing had changed at all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sashimi - CHAPTER SEVEN**

A stunned Kevin Tidwell sat slack jawed as Dani delivered the news of their collective departure. When he'd recovered enough to speak, he weakly told them that if they didn't give two weeks, neither would get a severance package. "Not that a guy with 50 million dollars needs a severance package, or hell.. even needed the job. Did you get what you came for?"

"I did," Charlie answered honestly, "I got that and more," alluding to Dani. He locked eyes with her, "but seeking is not always the way to find," intimating he'd unexpectedly found love in the last place anyone would look.

She shook her head at him and his Zen, prompting him to grin.

Charlie then brightly quipped LAPD had compensated him enough already and they'd "get by" prompting Dani to smile. He could be such an ass sometimes, but it was one of those digs that just needed to be delivered and she knew he felt good saying it.

Tidwell shook Charlie's hand and there was an awkward pause before Dani stepped close and hugged the Captain, kissed him on the cheek. He had been good to her, good for her, but he was never real to her – not in the way Crews was.

Charlie shifted uncomfortably until Tidwell released her, still not ready for anyone else to put their hands on his girl he realized, especially not someone who knew her the way Tidwell did and in ways he was just learning. He took a deep cleansing breath and flexed and released his fists willing a calm he did not feel.

Dani unclipped her badge and gun and laid them on Tidwell's desk, stepped back and looked at him expectantly. Charlie Crews experienced a moment of anxiety he thought he'd left in the past as he reached for the badge clipped to his belt. He'd worked so hard, fought so long and struggled back from nowhere to where he was now – it was hard to give it away.

He looked down to his hand on the cold metal and felt Dani's warm hand slip into his free one and the anxiety eased. He unclipped the badge and laid it on Tidwell's desk. "Ah…the gun is actually mine," he told the Captain, "not the department's." Tidwell nodded.

"You two should get concealed carry permits quickly," the Captain counseled, "there's still a lot of people out there who don't like you Crews." The warning was delivered without anger and directed at the tall ex-con, but the sting was still felt by both. Dani suppressed a scowl, she wanted to walk away clean – not angry.

As the turned to leave, Tidwell spoke a familiar phrase to Dani, "Detective? A word?" They both froze and Crews brows shot north. She shook her head slightly like a fly was annoying her and her ire rose.

Slowly Dani pivoted on the ball of one foot, "there's nothing you can say to me that he can't hear," she said punching the delivery relaying her displeasure. "He's my partner and we have no secrets." Her dark eyes glittered dangerously.

Tidwell poked his chin out and followed his original thought; "Okay…I was going to ask you about some of your things that were at my place." He let the insinuation of their recent tryst hang and it bled though the moment staining it with his jealousy.

"There's nothing there that I need," she pronounced strongly. "That's in the past and the past isn't real. Everything I need is right here," she reached blindly behind her for Crews, finding his hand in hers immediately. "Goodbye Captain." She turned on her heel and walked out holding the hand of her partner – in life now.

They walked into the squad bay their hands still linked mindless of the stares and glares from other cops. Some smiled knowingly at their happiness, others scowled at their impropriety, but for the first time in her life Dani Reese found she did not care about the judgments of other people and it was liberating in a way she never imagined.

She pulled Crews up short by their joined hands and when he turned to face her, she kissed him. Running her hands up the front of his suit, what was meant to be a public show of polite affection, she turned into something far more revealing. He was drawn into her heat and his hands tangled in her hair pulling her tightly against him, drawing her breath from her and the bay erupted into hoots and cheers. Love was something everyone could be happy about.

When they broke Bobby Stark stood staring at them with his thumbs hooked in his gun belt and great big smirk on his face.

Dani asked him, "Still think we got something in common Stark?"

He laughed, "No Detective, you can have him all to yourself. I'm happy at home."

"It's not Detective anymore, just Dani." Her smile came easily as Crews hugged her against his side and reached a hand out to Stark.

"Thanks for everything Bobby."

"What'd I do?" Stark joked.

"I'm not an easy man to be friends with."

"I wasn't always a good friend to you Charlie, but I'm trying to do better."

"That's what we're all striving for right? Bettering ourselves? Being better people?"

Dani rolled her eyes and commented dryly, "Oh here we go…"

Charlie arched his brows, "What?"

"There's some Zen thing you've just gotta say…go ahead. Let's hear it," she laughed.

Charlie rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, "Every morning we are born again. What we do today matters most." Then he glared her.

"I couldn't agree more Charlie," she shocked him by agreeing as he leaned down to kiss her again.

He stopped short and asked, "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Her smirk had not changed.

"So what do you want to do today?" He asked like they walked away from everything they knew every day.

The look on her face was priceless and indefinable as a mixture of want and wonder crossed her features. "Drive you crazy, " she whispered breathlessly.

"Okay, well you two have a nice life," Bobby laughed slapping Charlie on the shoulder. "Good luck with him," he said winking at Dani, "you're gonna need it. This one? He's nothing but trouble."

_Author's Note: Shall we continue?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sashimi - Chapter Eight**

"So…" he questioned walking to the car.

"So…" she parroted grinning.

"I guess I owe you some answers," he ventured.

"I have some things I'd like to know," she countered diplomatically.

As they climbed into the car, he asked her what she most wanted to know; her answer surprised him. He had been thinking about the order of telling her his tale or at least what he'd pieced together of it, but what she asked him about threw him for a loop.

"I want you to tell me," she began.

"My favorite color? My favorite superhero?" he joked.

She turned in her seat and looked directly at him. Her stern look said _I'm not joking anymore. _He stopped smiling instantly; she could still do that to him – sober him up with just a look. It wasn't a talent she was likely to lose.

"I want you to tell me what you did to that Corrections Officer at Pelican Bay," she said without blinking. His mouth went dry, his heart beat erratically and his skin temperature rose precipitously.

The worst day of his life; she was asking him about the worst day of his life. Worse than arrest, worse than incarceration, worse than divorce – was the day he first took a life. She'd been holding on to this a long time; all their time together.

On their first day together, during their first case together, he made his first trip back inside a prison where those Corrections Officers had confronted him. They intimated his most serious crime while inside in the course of trying to get a rise out of him. He'd walked away leaving them with a Zen quote about anger and she'd let it go, but she'd never forgotten what was said – even though she'd never asked him about it. Until today…

He didn't think she'd heard, didn't think she remembered – but Dani Reese never missed anything. She was an expert at ignoring things, but little was ever missed, her sharp little mind soaked it all up. His eyes dropped to his lap, subconsciously expressing guilt – _crap _he thought. _No way she missed that_.

She didn't press; she simply waited - that was his trick. _People like to fill a void_, he'd told her and she'd listened and she'd learned. For a fleeting moment, he had a flash of paranoia. _Was she really on his side or was this just another elaborate setup?_

He looked up and her dark brown eyes were regarding him; there was softness there and concern. There was something in them he could never describe that made him ease. This was Dani, his partner. His fears were irrational as all fears were – but that didn't make them any less real.

"I don't suppose this could be one of those things we don't talk about," he joked scrambling for some measure of control. Her simple question had evoked the "fight or flight" response in him. His whole body was tense, the strap muscles in his neck stood out, the veins along his temple pulsed with increased blood pressure, his breathing was neither sure nor solid.

She could tell that her question concerned him greatly, but she made no effort to persuade or cajole him. Neither did she back away from her request. She waited for him, regarding him levelly.

"Charlie?" she questioned softly. "I know you had to do something terrible and I think you need to tell me about that," she coaxed him to trust her.

"For you or for me?" he asked in a tone that seemed like the words were torn from heart. The pain evident in his voice was also painted on his face and bled through the pale blue orbs that held hers. "I…I've never told anyone…" he whispered.

When he looked up, he noticed that she'd driven them to quiet city park. She nodded at a park bench in the sun through the windshield in front of them. "Come sit with me," she asked. He was powerless to disobey.

He was better and stronger in the sunlight. Like Superman, Charlie Crews seemed to draw his energy from our yellow sun. It also allowed him to wear his shades and hide his eyes. She didn't mind if he needed that or wanted that – to hide. What he was going to tell her was profound and distressing.

They climbed from the car and sat on the bench. He deliberately breathed deeply calming himself. His eyes were shut and his hands shook so he clasped them on his knees. She gently reached over and peeled his left hand off his leg and clasped it between hers.

He shakily began after a moment. "There are gangs in the prisons. Not just gangs of prisoners; there are gangs of guards. You know how you get into a gang – you get jumped in, you get sexed in or you commit a crime – a rape or a murder. Most guards chose the latter. I was supposed to be this guy's crime. He was supposed to… you know…"

He squirmed unable to say the word, so she provided it for him, "rape you. He was supposed to rape you."

Charlie nodded and exhaled.

"I'd been beaten up a lot, cut several times, broken bones, but never… you know.." He couldn't bring himself to say the words even now. "He came to my cell. The guards had turned off the cameras because they don't want evidence of their misconduct. I couldn't, I wouldn't let that happen. I don't even really remember how it happened. One minute he was standing in the doorway with a nightstick smiling and the next he was dead."

"They couldn't accuse me of it because it would have divulged their dirty little gang and their vicious behavior to the light, but everyone knew…" his voice shook as he concluded the tale. "After that they left me alone, everyone did. It was awful and yet it probably is the only reason that I'm still alive today."

She didn't want to say anything that would appear to excuse his actions or pass judgment on him. Instead she chose three simple words, "I love you."

"How can you?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Because I know you best," she said softly. "You've carried this too long Charlie. You shouldn't have to carry it anymore."

"I always will," he vowed. "I killed a man," then he exhaled and laughed nervously, "I've actually killed quite a few men now." He grinned oddly at her. "How can you be sure that I'm not a bad guy?"

"I just know," she held his eyes and sold her truth to him. "I know what those things do to you, but I also know the immense strength you have to have to do them. It's how you survived and how you made sure I survived – with Roman. Charlie," she paused, "I owe my life to you."

"No," he shook his head, "you don't. You don't owe me anything."

"I feel differently," she argued quietly, "but… that's not why I'm here – with you - out of some misguided sense of debt. I'm here because this is where I want to be, it's where I belong – by your side."

"Dani, you need to know… I didn't kill him for you. I didn't kill him for anyone. I don't even remember doing it or thinking about doing it. I was just sitting there thinking I was going to die, but it was okay. I remember thinking maybe the whole reason I existed was to get you out of that SUV. I was at peace with it."

There was a long pause, during which she demonstrated more of that patience she'd acquired magically somewhere and then he continued, "then he hit me. I remember looking out the window and thinking that I just needed to get back to you. And it just happened," he sighed. "He was dead, same way as the guard. I crushed his windpipe, he suffocated and I lived."

"You had to live," she was now crying, silent tears rolling down her face. "I needed you," she told him. "I needed you to save me from sleepwalking through my life."

"I didn't save you," he pulled his sunglasses off. "I didn't. You saved me, Dani. You're still doing it," he pulled her into a tight hug.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sashimi – Chapter Nine**

After Charlie's painful disclosure, they returned home. They spent a quiet evening, each person alone with his or her thoughts, but together in person – warm, real and comforting. She held him gently in their bed that night as he finally slept a dreamless, peaceful sleep. They said confession was good for the soul; he'd never believed that. However, while he'd not wanted to do it, sharing something he felt great guilt about with someone who neither excused or applauded it had freed him in some small way. She'd been very neutral never judging or deriding him; she accepted that he did what he had to and it was in their past.

In sharing that terrible moment, it freed some small corner of his soul from the dark ropes that bound it. His soul stretched disused muscles and found them still strong, but stiff. He needed her as much as she did him. He needed her to trust him, to believe in him and to simply hold him in the dark they both feared. They woke that morning closer than ever, but in a way he could never fully describe.

He rose radiating energy that he needed to release. They dressed and left for a morning run in the long rays of morning light. He kissed her forehead and sprinted into the hills, away from her and yet he carried her with him.

* * *

><p>Dani had just finished her run and was still panting when she hit the front door. The house was quiet and empty. She ran and Charlie ran, but not together. His legs were much longer and the concept would never have survived execution, as sweet as the idea seemed. Plus Dani didn't really do "sweet"; she wanted a work out that didn't include eating Crews' dust.<p>

For that reason, while they usually started together, they took different routes and he was quickly far out of sight. He'd finish ahead of her, plant himself on the patio, near the pool to meditate. Occasionally, if she went on a really long run, over an hour, he'd go for coffee and have it waiting for her when she came in. This was one of her long days and she wanted that sweetness of dark chocolate in a waiting triple espresso mocha she knew he'd have for her.

She checked through the kitchen window and found the patio bare; no sign of him there. She really hoped he'd gone to get them coffee and wasn't upstairs in the shower. She made it halfway up the stairs and could not hear the water running. He was on a coffee run she was certain of it.

Her phone rang, vibrating across the kitchen island. Imaging it was him, she answered with a smile apparent in her voice, with just her name as always, "Reese."

"You quit?" her father's angry voice jumped at her through the phone. She reacted as though the phone bit her - nearly dropping it.

"Dani! Answer me," he demanded even though he didn't give her time to talk. "Why in the hell would you just walk away from everything you worked so hard to achieve?"

Her shock faded quickly and her acerbic words shot back at him in haste echoed down the line without even acknowledging his question, "Well, hello Dad. Nice to know you're alive."

"And what the hell are so god damned chipper about? You just quit your fucking job…." he barked.

She took a deep breath as he barked at her and then surprised herself and him, by simply snapping the phone shut, hanging up on him.

About that time Charlie came through the door juggling two coffees in a cardboard carrier and what she hoped were bagels in a brown paper bag. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

"No…not nothing," he corrected, "something." He twisted his head to the side and gave her a strange look. "Honey?" he wondered, "what is it?"

She spun away from him as her phone danced along the edge of the countertop again. She picked it up, examined the caller ID, which was blocked and put it down again.

By that time he'd travelled the distance between them and closed his hand over hers, "you're not gonna answer that?" he questioned softly.

She shook her head no.

"Honey? Who's on the phone?" his deep sultry voice rumbled in her ear.

"My father," she exhaled.

"Your father," he repeated dully, "Your father….who's not dead?"

"That's right," she said, "My father who's very much alive and shockingly - disappointed in me, yet again."

The sarcasm and guilt that dripped from her lips made him sad and angry at the same time. He seized the phone she didn't intend to answer and snapped it open.

She wheeled fire in her eyes and her face flushed with rage.

"Hello, Jack," he pronounced in a clipped tone. "While we're glad you're not dead, like Roman said you were, if you're gonna call, Dani - you need to be civil to her. I'm not gonna like it if you aren't nice to your daughter, Jack. I won't like it at all."

Said daughter stood with her hands on her hips a step away, tapping her foot and glaring angrily at him. His foot height advantage made it stupid for her to try to recover her phone; she'd be like a child trying to wrest something from an adult. But she was getting more pissed by the minute and it showed clearly on her face.

Then she listened to the words he was saying. He was standing there telling her father off – the man everyone was afraid of – even her. He was telling her father he needed to be nice – to her. She tried hard to hold onto her anger with him, but as a tirade of angry words echoed down the phone lines – her father responding in kind, Charlie simply snapped the phone shut and set it on the island.

"I know you're angry," he approached with his hands by his sides. He knew she intended to slap him, it was written all over her face, but he did nothing to protect himself. "But no one gets to make you feel the way he does, no one gets to treat you like that," he promised, "not while I can do something about it."

She raised her hands and framed his face. He flinched, slightly – just his eyes squinted, but otherwise he never moved. "You thought I was gonna hit you," she teased as she dragged him down to her level.

He started to say no, but ended up nodding and "yep," popped softly from his lips.

"I thought about it, but I'd rather kiss you," she murmured as she pressed her lips to his. His hands found their way to her hips and he pulled her to him, molding her to the contours of his body and deepening their kiss. She lost track of time until he pulled back reminding her that her coffee was getting cold.

"I thought finding my father was part of the plan," she asked. "Don't we need him to find out who set you up?"

"Oh, he'll call back – or contact your mother," Charlie said enthusiastically. "But this time when he calls he'll be nicer," he promised her.

"To me – maybe," she commented, "but I feel sorry for you when he finds out we're sleeping together." Her wicked grin made him smile.

He sidled up along side her on the counter and looked down at her. His tone was low and seductive, "Honey?" making sure he had her full attention. "We – are doing a whole lot more than sleeping together," he told her holding her eyes. He was rewarded with a scarlet flush that crept up her neck, covering her throat, until he kissed the heat off her lips.

"Now," he teased when he released her, "eat your bagel. I'm gonna hit the shower and then we can decide what to do today." He leapt up the stairs two at a time and disappeared around the curl at the top of the stairs leading to their bedroom.

She wondered how they'd gotten to this point so quickly. Last week they were partners at work, now they were partners in everything. Life was about to test that partnership in ways that would make them both examine themselves and their choices.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sashimi – Chapter Ten**

The first day of the rest of their lives began simply enough. They decided on a trip to the mountains, just driving with no particular direction or destination in mind. Charlie said he wanted to see how they'd be together with no LAPD, vast criminal conspiracy or the collective mistakes of their past between them. It turned out to be easy than either had imagined.

He drove them deep into the Sierra Nevada's, stopping only once at a small country store, where he bought water and fruit – it wouldn't be Charlie if he hadn't. He returned to the car while Dani was stretching her legs, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine to show off the fat, dark red apples and a couple oranges. He also bought a couple turkey & Swiss sandwiches wrapped in wax paper for later, but those he quietly deposited in a backpack on the floorboard behind his seat. Then he drove to a heavily wooded area and turned onto a logging road and parked about a half mile off the main road and left the car. He opened her door and asked her to take a walk with him. Dani Reese was not exactly a country girl, so the look she shot him was one-part incredulity with a healthy dose of skepticism. "You know I'm not camping or any of that stuff?" she questioned.

"Come take a walk with me," he beckoned.

"Okay, but what's the backpack for?" she questioned.

"It's just snacks, some water and my phone," he smiled easily.

"It's just a walk in the woods, Reese." He held out his hand asking in his own demanding way, something she thought she alone possessed the ability to do. "Please?" he softened the demand.

"Okay, but just so you know…my idea of camping out is a hotel….with room service," she reminded him, "and a mini-bar."

They travelled along a firebreak until they could no longer see the car. The woods around them were lush with tall pines and the ground carpeted with rust colored needles. They made no sound excepting the occasional crack of a dry stick beneath their feet. He held her hand loosely and shortened his stride so she didn't have to struggle to keep up. He walked deliberately, placing his feet in solid spots and picking his way through the wood as though he lived there.

They reached a fallen tree and stopped for water. "Are you doing okay?"

She nodded and smiled. There were birds in the woods, singing cheerfully and flitting amongst the sun-dappled trees high above their head. She drank water in guilty gulps and spent most of their break looking up and around them. When she returned her eyes to the ground, he was watching her carefully. "Is this the part where I learn you are an axe murderer?" Most people wouldn't have joked with a man wrongly convicted of murder about that, but Dani wasn't most people. She didn't have to be cautious around him because she knew his sins and forgave him them.

"There's a clearing ahead," he said presciently, but ignoring her jab entirely. She was just in a rare mood and having a bit of fun. He let it go, if it bothered him at all, he shrugged it off. Reese did not feel self-conscious and that was indeed a rare thing.

"Have you been here before?" she asked.

"No," he said simply.

"Then how do you know?" she wondered aloud curious, but absent her typical anger.

"You see how the sun breaks through strongly ahead of us? That means there's a clearing there – a meadow or maybe a lake – if we're lucky," his smile was strong confident and it inspired a reflexive smile from her.

She realized that she wasn't sweating – due in part to the cooler temps at the elevation they were hiking. There weren't many bugs and the few spiders that strung webs between the trees, Charlie either expertly avoided or knocked away ahead of her. It was lovely, much better than city parks full of street noise, strollers and the shrieks of children on the playground.

They emerged into the clearing and there was indeed a small body of very shallow water that reflected the sky like a sheet of glass. A couple of deer stood at the other end of the pond drinking, one lifted it's head regarding them regally before stamping it's foot in warning.

"He's annoyed," Charlie commented in a low tone, "We're disturbing him."

"Yeah, well…tell him annoyed is my mood," Dani whispered. He smiled at her joke.

"Let's sit here," he gestured to a large boulder in the sun.

They slid quietly onto the rock and Charlie shed his backpack. After a few moments, in the sun, she became hot and removed her shirt. She didn't feel odd about sunning in the woods with just a job bra and jeans. Charlie's eyes left the deer and caressed her with a lingering gaze. It was obvious he didn't mind her losing her shirt. His hair was fiery, sparkling with reds and golds, but he would not last long in the sun she realized.

"We should get out of this sun," she suggested, "you'll burn."

He stayed her with a hand on her arm. "No," he whispered. "I like it here," he softened. "Stay here with me," he requested and a question spoken as a demand. He knew what he wanted – her – close to him.

She nodded simply and covered his hand with hers. He slid down the rock to sit on the ground and motioned for her to join him. He took her hand and guided her to sit in front of him. He pulled her against his chest and began to breath deeply willing her his calmness as he centered them both. The deer seemed to accept they were no threat and returned to grazing and drinking.

Ordinarily, Dani would have wondered about bugs or snakes or creepy crawlers that lurked in the deep carpet of pine needles or the grasses that grew around the edge of the lake, but Charlie stayed those fears. She felt herself relax in a way that she couldn't normally achieve. Time passed without her noticing, as they breathed as one and watched the clouds in the sky, reflected in the mirrored surface of the lake. They didn't talk; they didn't need to.

She felt Charlie's lips touch her shoulder and his hands travel up and down her bare arms lightly and very, very slowly. He reached her shoulders and pulled her ponytail aside to kiss her neck gently. "I love you," he said softly in her ear.

"I know," she replied. She made no effort to move or interact with him, instead mutely accepting his exploration of her without comment.

"You see that buck and his doe," he commented. "I imagine that's us. Alone together in the woods, happy to just 'be' and to 'be' together."

"Hmmm," she hummed idly. "That's a nice thought. Where do you imagine he stashed their backpack?"

"Thirsty?" he smiled against her skin.

He pulled the backpack across the rock, again attracting the buck's attention and ire. He snorted and if deer could glare, this one did.

"Shhh," she chided.

He smiled at her wonder and joy. Dani was so distracted by the trappings of the world beyond these woods. He wanted to give her the opportunity to discover the world that he had. The world that spun under the cars, houses, people and problems that so often eclipsed it. He handed her a bottle of water and half a sandwich.

"What do you have a deli back there?" she teased before taking a long draw off her bottle.

"I try to plan for every occasion," he explained. "I got some apples and oranges, but I also brought this," he waived a Skor bar in front of her. "Dark chocolate and toffee – two of your favorites as I recall," he taunted before tucking it away out of the sun.

They ate in silence as the birds sang in the glade and as he tore into the orange the pungent scent of it mixed with the clean smell of the pines. She inhaled deeply. "Want some?" he offered cautiously. Dani nearly always rejected his offers of fruits, although he never forgot to try to entice her. She shook her head instead grasping his hand sucking the sticky citrus from his fingers. His head lolled back and he released a groan that made both deer pay attention.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "but that's not something you should do in public." His gentle teasing made her laugh softly. He washed his hands with bottled water and then produced her candy bar.

The chocolate was melting and as she licked her fingers she caught him watching her, "what?" she grinned at him. "Can't let good chocolate go to waste," she held a finger out to him. He took her finger in his mouth and swirled his tongue around it carefully, while she watched.

"I think we should go," she commented, "unless you got a tent in that bag."

He sighed and rose nimbly, helping her up. She donned her shirt and they bid farewell to the glade. "Do you think you can find the car?" he asked.

"Not a chance in hell," she laughed.

"Let's hope I can," he joked.

She eyed him skeptically and held out her hand. "I trust you." It was a simple statement but a profound one.

He took her hand and led the way back. It seemed shorter on the way back, perhaps because they talked about dinner and he told her of a homemade ice cream place he wanted to try on their way back to the city.

"Ah! There it is," he sounded mildly surprised. She looked at him sideways, trying to divine if he was teasing her. "It's not an exact science. It's more of a feel your way kind of thing," he explained. She feigned annoyance but smiled once she was back in the car. The radio sounded foreign to her, so she switched it off and they coasted along the last ½ mile of the wilds in silence with the windows down.

"Did you always love the woods?" She asked as they hit the main road and speeds forced them to roll up the windows.

"No," he told her, "I discovered them when I got out. There was the normal boy scout outings and summer camp when I was a kid, but I didn't really get them until after prison."

She waited and he gave her more.

"I was so used to being alone that people kinda freaked me out a little," he chuckled, "more than a little," he admitted softly. "I found that the peace here was unlike any other I could find or create," he glanced at her to find her examining his comment and agreeing.

"I can see that," she said absently. Being alone with him had a profound effect on her. Dani was normally always in motion, while she possessed the capacity for silence, reticence, she was hardly ever still. The stillness she found with him balanced and centered her far more than he'd imagined it would. This would be easier than he'd imagined. She needed Zen and now perhaps she would embrace it.

"It's funny," she commented, "neither of our cell phones have rung all day."

"I turned them off," he replied levelly. He waited for her fury to reach him and when it did not come he regarded her from his seat. "Does that bother you?"

"No," she said simply, "it should – I think it should – ordinarily it would, but it doesn't, which doesn't make sense does it?" She wondered her way around the question arriving back at its start. "Why doesn't it bother me?"

"Maybe," he ventured, "because you've taken the first step in letting go of your attachment to the illusion of control." He watched her reaction. There was a sharp spark in her eye, anger – the ready resource; but then she schooled herself and considered his comment without judgment.

"Maybe…" she said letting the anger go.

He smiled and her mirroring smile was something he'd never forget. It was like seeing the sunrise for the first time or hearing a child laugh. It was pure and wonderful. It was a perfect day and he alone knew how rare those days were.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: I lose internet access in a couple days, I'll keep writing, but won't be able to post updates til early November. I see a lot of reads but not many reviews, so I'm gauging the level of interest in this story is not very high. I'll keep writing because that's something I do for me, but if there's no interest, I might not post any more updates and move on to another idea. If you want to read more, please let me know. <em>


	11. Chapter 11

**Sashimi – Chapter Eleven**

"Will you tell me what happened with Roman?" he asked abruptly.

She turned her head sharply and stared at him.

It had been months. They hadn't talked about it at all – never – in all that time. Charlie had been the only one; the only one who never asked. He didn't poke, pry, prod and pester her about what he'd "done" to her, how she "felt", if she was "okay." He didn't subtly hint, drop vague references or otherwise try to engage her or encourage her to "talk."

He'd taken to heart the fact that she wasn't a talker; she spoke to him in other ways. He paid attention to her – her moods, her body language, the tenseness behind her eyes, the tightness in her body. Overtly he didn't change a single thing about how they interacted, but how they interacted had changed. They were sleeping together.

And Charlie was right; they were doing "a whole lot more than just sleeping together." They were together in ways Dani had never experienced with another person. She felt connected to him. His question didn't make her anxious, just curious why it took him this long to ask. It made her grin twist into a wry, curious smile as she continued to silently regard him.

Up to this moment with Charlie, it was as if the whole thing with Roman had never happened. He never acknowledged the incredible leap of …what word could you use for what he did… it escaped her. Trading his life for hers, taking her place, willingly placing himself in the grasp of a sociopathic sadist with no idea how or if he'd get away. It was as if he'd forgotten the gesture once he'd escaped with his own life.

They also never talked about that – how he'd escaped, how Roman died – but she knew. Or at least she thought she did. She was certain Crews killed Roman as surely as she knew he'd resist any inquiry into how. It was in the past, so for Crews it didn't exist, but for her it would echo throughout the rest of her life.

"Did you mean 'ever' or right now?" she parried. To her it seemed a fairly reasonable response, albeit it smart aleck, but that was her style; the flash in his eyes said otherwise, but he hid it quickly.

"You're getting pretty good at this 'answering a question with a question' thing, you know?" he smiled a sly sideways smile at her. "But I was kinda hoping for now," his smile stayed but softened, "or soon…when you're ready," he backpedaled. He was so in your face with most people and so cautious and tentative with her, she realized.

"I guess I was hoping we could wait til tonight," she offered. "That okay?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, squeezing her shoulder, "yeah, honey – that's okay." Then as an after thought, he asked, "Do you think we could have that Japanese fish thing again? For dinner I mean?"

"Yeah, I'll buy, you fly," she pulled a twenty from her pocket. "Cause if you're waiting for me to cook something….you could be in for a long wait," she joked.

"I know," he played at glum with a twinkle in his eye. He took her money, folded it over and with two fingers put it back in the pocket of her jeans. "I don't want your money."

She pulled the bill back out and slapped it against his chest, "and I don't want yours," she challenged.

"Is this gonna be a thing with you?"

"Which this is that?"

He sighed at her. "You know I have money – a lot of money," he pushed.

"Which I have no interest in," she asserted.

"I know that," he gingerly offered. She was hovering on the edge of angry. "I love that," he walked a tightrope, "but we're not going dutch on dinner. I'm buying us dinner," he ground his teeth at her intransigence.

She glared as he offered her money back. She snatched it from his outstretched hand, "fine."

"Hey, maybe your folks will invite us for dinner," he suggested cheerily. She rolled her eyes at him. "What? It could happen," he challenged happily.

"Yeah, and the Cubs could win the pennant, hell could freeze over and Mexico could achieve space travel, but I wouldn't hold my breath," her dark humor and sarcasm made an appearance. She tried to look dour, but failed with his smile coaxing a mirroring one from him. She growled at him.

"What?" he spread his arms showing he'd done nothing.

"It's a good thing we've given up police work," she commented, "I used to be able to summon fierce looks and you've turned me into a grinning idiot."

"Honey?" he teased, "you still look fierce to me. And that smiling thing? It's called happiness - you'll get used to it," he finished by gathering her in his arms intent on kissing her.

"Yeah, well…I," she tried to banter back, but ended up focused on his eternally split bottom lip. "Why don't you wear Chapstick?" she wondered.

"Can't I just borrow some of yours?" he whispered across her lips before claiming them with his own.

She hummed a reply but it was lost in the rush of blood in her ears. He still excited her like he had since their first kiss. She seemed never to tire of him and that was something new for her, but so was loving the man she was with. She'd deliberately avoided anyone she might fall in love with for years, choosing instead the harmful but deliberate stranger and the harmless, but uninspired Kevin Tidwell. Fate however had other plans for her, when it placed Charlie Crews directly in her path.

Unlike most men placed in her path or blast radius in those days, Charlie Crews simply wouldn't move. She'd lowered her head and hit him with the power of a freight train, an iron horse running right into him intent on travelling straight through. But her pale, lean partner was far tougher and smarter than he'd first appeared. He was like water, she flowed straight through, but she'd gotten wet in the process. It was almost unnoticeable how he was slowly staining her the color of him their whole time together.

He was strong in an archaic way, possessing the tenacity of an old world warrior or Olympic athlete coupled with the audacity and shameless luck of an Irish man. He was seemingly bullet proof, more a function of the fact that he didn't care if he lived or died than any true ballistic protection. He told her not fearing death freed him. Something to do with moving between the raindrops he'd told her one day when he was being particularly Zen. His power came in the knowledge that every moment could be your last – he never gave anything but his best, his all and it made him seem otherworldly, but she knew he was just a man. A remarkable man that she loved.

He alone possessed the strength to withstand the heat of her glare, the blast of her anger and the ice in her veins. Somehow, slowly but surely he'd crept into her keep and set up camp within her high castle walls - a penetration that she was the very last to notice. Now he was firmly entrenched in her heart and she found it comforting rather than disturbing. It was proof she was losing her mind - that and the fresh, green sprouts of Zen popping up throughout the garden of her life.

He hit the doorknob opening the front door with his knee, juggling the plastic bag and a six-pack of Guinness and a folder full of paperwork under his arm. He was met with a resounding lack of sound, which was weird because her car was in the drive. He stood still for a moment listening, then shut the door with his foot and called out, "Reese?"

For a moment, he wondered if him calling her Reese was weird now that they were sleeping together, but that thought was interrupted by the sound of clacking. Like a typewriter, but not like a typewriter…he couldn't place the noise in context until he heard a whine. Nails on marble; it was a dog. There was a dog in his kitchen… or a coyote. Boy, Ted would freak if a coyote had gotten in the house, he thought as he walked in that direction.

He found a stay gate holding back a small black and white dog with a patch over one eye. It began to leap and whine in earnest when it saw him. The dog was still young, maybe three or four months old, but not a true puppy. Charlie stepped over the gate and put dinner down on the island and picked up the dog. It eagerly licked his face and squirmed in joy.

"And just who are you?" he inquired.

Holding the dog under one arm, he grabbed a pint glass and popped the top off a Guinness pouring it patiently into the glass. He retreated to the living room with the pup and waited, petting the eager little fellow, which after checking under his skirt to deduce it was a male. The dog was damp and it's hair sticking up in spots as though it had been swimming. Deep in the house, he could now detect the sound of water running in the pipes. "So mama's in the shower huh fella?"

The dog said nothing. It was curled up in his lap fast asleep, having already had rough day. About ten minutes later, he heard Dani descend the stairs and unlatch the gate. Her shorter legs weren't quite long enough to step over it as he did. She whistled quietly and the dog's head snapped up.

"We're in here," he offered loud enough for her to hear.

"Oh," she appeared in the doorway still toweling her hair dry. "You found him," she noticed. The dog made no attempt to move from Charlie's lap. "We had a little trouble on the way home. He get's carsick," she explained. "I was going to call, but by the time I got finished cleaning the car, the dog and myself…" she stopped talking because Charlie and the dog were both regarding her with a strange expression.

"We have a dog now?" he asked his eyes smiling to match his grin.

"He was supposed to be a surprise," she wagged her finger at the dog.

"Oh, I'm surprised," he laughed finishing his glass. "Could you pour the rest of that bottle for me?"

She took the glass and the dog ducked his head. She returned from the kitchen with his glass bearing the remainder of his beer. The dog ducked again.

"What's with him?" Charlie asked. Dani sat beside him and he put his arm around her looking deeply into her eyes. She kissed him quickly and focused her attention on the pup.

"Apparently…" Dani eyed the dog, as she slowly reached out to rub the pup's ears, "he doesn't like cars or baths." The dog licked her hand.

He watched her concentrate on the dog's silken ears and regaining his trust. Charlie kept his hands off the dog and watched as he leaned against Dani's hand, rose and moved to her lap. "I think you're forgiven."

"Hmmm," she remarked absently.

"Does he have a name?"

"Not yet," she said absently still focused on the dog. The silence between them stretched. He took her hand and wove his fingers between hers. The ignored pup returned to sleep.

"I thought about what you asked," she continued headed decidedly down a road she'd been considering all day. "I wasn't scared," she started, "with Roman," she qualified, looking up from their hands to make sure he followed. "I knew you'd find me. I knew you'd come. I didn't get scared, until…" she stopped.

He waited but she did not continued. He waited longer and then asked her, "until what? What frightened you Dani?"

"You," she looked up and her grin was incongruous with the tears in her eyes.

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes in a silent question.

"What you did? When they took you away….it was the first time I was really truly scared," she blinked and a single tear traversed her cheek. He leaned in and kissed it off her face.

"It's okay, it's over," he promised. "We don't have to go back there," he let her know it was okay to stop right there, but she didn't.

"Roman hit me, pushed me around, nothing worse than a couple guys I've dated. He talked trash. He told me he'd killed my father, which you know, but none of that scared me the way what you did…" her voice broke. "Charlie, I thought I might never see you again."

He pulled her close, squeezing the dog between them. The dog wisely moved. He shushed her and kissed her forehead and whispered into her hair, "I had a plan."

"Liar," she laughed and elbowed him. "You didn't have a plan," she challenged.

"Okay," he admitted, "so no plan, but I'm still here," he said as if that made everything okay. "I'd have sold my soul to the devil to get you back," he smiled at her and her mirroring smile let him know the worst was over. "You're worth that much to me."

She nodded knowing he was telling her the truth. "I was restrained, taped to a chair and hooded most of the time. I couldn't tell much about where I was. I heard noises, voices, heard Russians talking, smelled sweat and cigarette smoke and dogs. It was hard afterwards to be in the dark without feeling like I was still there under that hood."

He nodded, but she fell silent, so he filled the void with a secret of his own. "For a long time after I was out, I'd wake up and think I was still there – in prison, in solitary. I slept with the lights on so when I'd wake up I'd know. It's why I bought this house, all this space, all the light. Even when the lights are off it's still light in here – and there's lots of space. Not just lots of rooms, but big rooms." He explained to her something she'd always wondered and never asked.

The house wasn't a display of wealth or opulence, it was a way of being inside but unconfined by tight corners, dark rooms or painful places from his past. Another thing they shared.

"Did he ask you anything?" he tried to sound nonchalant about his very important question.

"No," she said simply. "He never did," she eyed him suspiciously.

"But?"

"They did. The FBI did," she told him. "Crews this and Crews that – they wanted me to come back to you, to spy on you, to help them find out about you and Mickey Rayborn who turned out not to be quite as dead as everyone thought," she smiled.

"And you wouldn't do it," he pronounced. She nodded.

"That's why they took you," he pieced it together. "You knew what they wanted – Rayborn," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Everyone at the FBI belonged to Roman," he continued to think aloud piecing disparate pieces of the puzzle together. "Rayborn disappeared, staged his own death to get away from Roman. Roman thought I was helping him."

"Okay, fill in the blanks," she demanded, "because I'm lost."

"Rayborn was the one who put me onto Roman in the first place," he acknowledged. "That call I made before we busted Roman at his club? It was to Rayborn. But he was shining me on, playing me. We both got used. Rayborn used me to take out Roman, then Roman tries to use you to get to me – thinking I'd lead him to Rayborn."

She shook her head to clear it. His stomach growled and the dog growled back. "Uh, is that sashimi in the kitchen?"

"Yeah," he kissed her sweetly, "let's eat and go to bed."

"What about him?" Dani asked nudging the dog with her leg.

"Yeah, what about him? Why'd you get a dog Dani?" he wondered curiously.

She seemed embarrassed, so he waited until she met his eyes. "I just thought… the house seemed kinda empty. I ran across him in the park when I was running. He looked lost and I thought he fit us. It was dumb," she ended looking down.

"No," he was stern and raised her face to his with a knuckle under her chin. "It was sweet; it was kind." She made a face but he continued undeterred, "and it means a lot to me," he gazed into her eyes, "that you think of this, of us, as home, that you want to make a home – with me."

"Maybe I just liked the dog," she joked, dodging his deeply personal comment.

He waited and her eyes returned to his, "I love you," he whispered, "but I'd really love some dinner," he teased with a grin.

She exhaled her relief. The entire exchange was just a touch too personal for Dani. She still wasn't used to the idea of being loved. Being lusted after? Sure. Being pursued? Absolutely. But loved, valued, cherished? These things were new to her. She was still trying them out. He had to be patient and take baby steps.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sashimi – Chapter Twelve**

She woke in the night in a panic. Talking about the darkness brought it back for her. It was one of the reasons she wasn't keen on revisiting her time under the hood, it was something she'd rather just forget. But for him, she'd go there – into the dark because he would make certain she wasn't alone.

Her knight in tarnished armor lay still and quiet beside her, it was impossible to tell if he was awake without asking, which she stubbornly refused to do. The dog however, was standing on its hind legs, black paws on the edge of the bed, head cocked to the side looking at her. He somehow knew or heard and was concerned. There was some sort of freaky connection between her and the lost and found, as yet still nameless, pup from the park.

She reached over and picked him up and he began licking her immediately. He put his soft head under her chin, snuggling in there and making himself comfortable.

"You okay?" came Charlie's sleepy query. He was awake, but being still to give her the privacy to deal with her nightmares on her own. She loved him more for his discretion than she would had he been overly attentive and concerned. He was there – that was enough.

He snaked his hand under the covers to capture hers as he told the dog with the sandpaper of sleep in his voice, "Hey, that's my girl you're trying snuggle up to, buddy."

She smiled as he reached across her body the hip opposite him and drew her closer to his warm body. "Uh-uh, I found someone who loves me more," she teased, but didn't resist him.

"Not possible," he mumbled across her exposed shoulder. She relaxed as the heat of his body bled into her. She wasn't alone and Charlie was right, it wasn't really dark as the moon bathed the room in shades grey moon and sodium street lights cast long lines of pink across them.

"I love you," she whispered into his soft hair.

"Me or the mutt?" he rumbled against her throat.

She sighed but didn't answer, she didn't have to; he knew.

She woke in the early morning as light sliced through the windows in long rays. Two pairs of blue eyes regarded her, concerned, cautious and waiting. She smiled and the dog crawled forward and whined wanting permission. He was so polite for a dog, she thought.

Charlie simply smiled back and commented, "I think you're right. He does fit us."

"Let's take him to the park," he added cheerily, qualifying after her eyes narrowed, "after we get you some coffee."

Dani generally didn't speak in the morning. Sometimes she did growl, which elicited another very strange reaction from the dog who couldn't decide if she was playing or serious. He backed up into Charlie's chest and twisted his head at her, then he barked just once, but loudly.

"Yeah, I don't like her growling at me either," Charlie sympathized ruffling the pup's ears. "You get used to it," he told the dog rising and patting his leg. "Let's take you outside, buddy." The dog eagerly followed.

"Think of a name for him," Dani's sleepy voice drifted down the hall behind them, "no fruits," she qualified before adjourning to the bathroom for a long hot shower.

"Hmmmm," Charlie thought as the dog sniffed around the sparse backyard. "I know," he told it, "pitiful yard, but it's hard to get grass to grow up here." The dog ignored him entirely and took to chasing a grasshopper.

"What should we name you?" Charlie talked to the dog.

He tried out a few common names for reaction, "Buddy, Sport, Fluffy…" At the mention of the name Fluffy, the dog turned and gave him a look that was the dog version of a scowl and trotted the other way. "Okay, not Fluffy," Charlie scratched his head. "This is harder than I thought," he marveled at how difficult the task was proving to be.

He patted his leg and the dog followed him into the kitchen where he made coffee and contemplated things – some aloud and some to himself. "How about Krishna?"

The dog barked once. "Like that?" The dog barked again.

"Uh, no," Dani pronounced as she strode into the kitchen, "No Zen names either."

"I don't think that's Zen per say," Charlie argued, "besides he likes it."

"Or maybe," Dani countered, "he's just hungry and anything you say to him will produce that reaction." She turned to face the pup and said forcefully, "purple, seven and snorkel." Each time the pup barked. "See," she smiled. "This is why dogs don't pick their own names," she scolded both her mate and their new pet.

Charlie wagged his finger at the dog who pirouetted on two legs trying to eat his hand. "I think he's hungry," he pointed out. Dani rolled her eyes.

"I think he looks like an 'Archie'," she pronounced.

Charlie wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"No?" She laughed. She tried the name out and the dog trotted to her side.

"He's just hungry," Charlie observed, "he thinks you have food."

"Huh," she patted the pup's side. "You just don't like it because it sounds too much like 'Charlie'," she remarked to the man and the dog.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up, and then he had a bolt from the blue, "How about Max?"

Dani seemed impressed, she even showed it clearly on her face. "Max, huh?"

The dog looked from her to him and trotted back to Charlie to tug on his pants. "I think he either likes it or is going to eat me for breakfast."

"I'm just warning you," she continued as they walked to her car, "yesterday he got sick in the car, so keep his head out the window and let me know if you think he's going to hurl."

Charlie ruffled the dog's ears and gathered him in his lap. "We just need to get you some fresh air and focus on the horizon. It's what got me over seasickness," he talked to the mutt.

Dani looked at him skeptically and her look demanded more.

"Bobby decided we should go deep sea fishing one time," he explained. "I was turning green when the boat captain told me to go the front of the boat and look at the horizon instead of the water. The fresh air and different perspective did the trick," he smiled reminiscing.

Charlie had so few good memories from before that she didn't press and just let him have his moment. Moments later both he and the dog were sticking their faces out the open window, being in that moment together – it made her happy for no reason and brought an unseen smile to her face. This was getting ridiculous, she never smiled this much, not since she was a child. She was distracted from her worry over her prodigious smiling by Charlie's interruption.

He shouted over the wind in his ears, "Bobby still got sick, but in retrospect it might have had a little to do with all the beer we drank the night before," he happily recalled.

She slowed down. They weren't in a hurry like before, always rushing somewhere or demanding something of themselves or others. Today they were just a couple taking their dog to the park and that didn't need to be rushed. The joy in her heart was almost too much to contain as she looked at the lunatic riding beside her holding Max, bracing the small pup against his chest and ear-to-ear they squinted into the light breeze. Her mirror held nothing but a lolling pink tongue and Crews' familiar grin.

They stopped for breakfast tacos and the dog sniffed after Crews when he shut the door leaving him inside. "It's okay," Dani told the little dog, "he's coming back." The dog seemed swayed by her argument because he gave up looking after Charlie and returned to her. "I know he's a little odd, but I wouldn't trade him for all the money in the world."

She petted the dog absently and thought about the quote on the Zen web site the day prior that held, "_You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present, by worrying about the future._" Before she seemed incapable of not doing that – worrying; but these last few days with Charlie she felt at peace. The future didn't bother her, she lived in the now Charlie was always talking about.

The dog leaned looking and she knew Crews was coming back. She let him go and tried to dodge his wildly wagging tail as Crews opened the door carrying a white plastic bag full of breakfast tacos wrapped in little cocoons of paper.

"Are we feeding a baseball team?" she wondered testily.

"What? Two for you, two for me, two for Max and a spare in case I lose one," he smiled. It was a well-known fact between them that Dani did not eat two tacos, but Charlie's voracious appetite would ensure none went to waste. The dog rooted his nose into the bag eagerly. "Hey," her mate objected. "Okay, so you're hungry," he admitted.

"Don't feed him in the car," Dani warned. "Just in case, you know…" she reminded him of Max's earlier struggles with riding in the car.

"Okay," Charlie acquiesced, "but I'm telling you…he's cured." The dog sat back and barked sharply at him. "Uh-uh, Mom said no," Charlie wagged his finger at the dog.

"Don't look at me. Look at her," he demanded pointing at Dani. "Better yet," he changed tacks as he put the tacos on the floorboard behind him, "look out the window."


	13. Chapter 13

**Sashimi – Chapter Thirteen**

"Not that I'm not enjoying the just being normal people thing," she opened.

"But you'd like to get started on the next case…" he finished.

She sighed, "I'm too predictable aren't I?"

He chuckled, "No. I was just thinking it was about time we did something," he waggled his eyebrows at her. "Funny that we'd reach that point at about the same time," he teased. "Almost like we agree on something, but that's not possible is it?"

"Funny, Crews, funny," she tried to glare at him and failed.

"It's almost like losing a superpower isn't it?" he commented cheerily.

She smacked his solar plexus quickly with the back of her hand and was rewarded with a surprised grunt from him. "Nope, I still got it," she donned her shades and smiled.

"Will Max be okay by himself?" he asked.

"Yeah," she petted the dog's head, "he'll be fine. Now, don't eat the house," she instructed. Max cocked his head to the side and gave her a quizzical look. "I swear sometimes…"

"He knows what you're saying?" Charlie finished her thought.

"Yeah," she answered as they climbed into the car. "And I don't need two men in my life that can do that. Gimme the keys," she demanded.

Charlie stood arms crossed, keys in hand and shook his head, "uh-uh, this time I drive." She arched her eyebrow at him, but retreated to the passenger side and climbed in. He released a tightly held breath and climbed in, sparking the car to life.

"But I draw the line at listening to this," she punched out his Zen tape and dialed in a alternative rock radio station. He let her have that part. He actually liked her musical taste, but he'd never let on.

"I'm thinking that if…if there is a connection between your father, Roman and Rayborn, it started along time ago – maybe even before the Bank of LA shoot out. I don't think Roman was in the country then, so it's more complex and layered than just one psychopath." He waited for her head nod, indicating assent before continuing, "and I think that none of these fancy computer gadgets and databases are going to find that link."

"What are you thinking?" she asked smiling. She knew what he was thinking, but she was playing along.

"Mug books," he pronounced excitedly.

She groaned, "I knew you were gonna say that. You want me to look through thousand of black and white photos?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "I got Bobby to pull the years before Bank of LA – two years of them. It's a stack, but we're looking for people that you recognize. I think your father knew them or arrested them. Look for people that you may have seen at your house around the time of Bank of LA. People like Kyle Hollis."

"And you think my father brought these bad guys to our house?" she asked and she didn't sound convinced his hunch was worth much.

"I think people ignore children, but they see a lot. I think you know more than you think you do, but it's buried. Let's dig it up and let's ask him," Charlie challenged. "I know if he called you, so he must have called your mother."

"True," she admitted. "Wait… how do you know that?"

"Cause if your mom's anything like you….he couldn't stay away," Charlie leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"So we're going where exactly?"

"MacArthur Park to meet Bobby, then your house or more accurately your parents' house," he replied.

"Does my mother know that we're dropping in on her unannounced?"

"Yep," he popped back.

"I'm almost afraid to ask this, but how?"

"I called her. This morning when you were in the shower, I called her," Charlie smiled. "She's eager to see you, us – said you haven't visited in almost a month," he continued to ignore Dani's scowl.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for my mother to know about us," Dani grumbled.

"She doesn't," he replied. "So far as she knows I'm still just your partner," he assured. "You tell her when you're ready," he said squeezing her hand.

"It's not that I'm ashamed," she explained. "It's just you're not the most popular person with my father and I don't have a spectacular track record with men."

Charlie didn't respond; he simply let her talk because she needed to.

"When I got hooked, I was undercover, my mom came to see me in rehab – only my mom, not my dad. It was awful, but she came anyway. I was terrible to her, but she kept coming back. I didn't know why – I hated me, what I'd done… I understand my father's reaction, but she never stopped…"

"Mom's never do," Charlie said presciently. She looked at him and realized that he'd had a similar experience. His father's reaction to his conviction and his mother's devotion to him were eerily similar to her situation. Yet another thing they had in common.

"There was a guy," she gutted out the rest because she had to. She'd alluded to it before but they'd never discussed it – because she didn't talk. But it felt good to tell someone who wouldn't judge.

"David," she couldn't help the way her voice changed when she said his name even after all this time. "He was an addict, but he was also funny and sweet and I loved him. Losing access to drugs was nothing compared to losing him. When he blew his brains out I was so high, I didn't even really know. I didn't truly feel it until I dried out in rehab."

"It broke your heart," Charlie told her that he knew.

"Yeah," she admitted. "How'd you…" she glanced sideways at him.

"Jen," he offered softly. Different lives, different times, different experiences, all tied together along a parallel path of pain, "but we're past that moment," he drew her back to now, to him, to them.

"Yeah," she said softly weaving her fingers into his, "we are."

The meet with Bobby was short, which Dani was thankful for. She still had almost forgiven Stark for abandoning Charlie in his hour of need; she probably never would fully forgive him and she'd never trust him or like him. For Charlie's sake, she tried to be civil, but Stark constantly did things that made that hard for her – today was no different.

Bobby smacked his gum and slung Department gossip while leaning against the rear quarter panel of his patrol, trying to convey an ease he did not feel. Reese made him edgy – he knew her opinion of him and it was earned. He'd let his partner down, but it was something he was trying to make up for. Her steadfast dislike of him was one of the reasons he knew how much she loved Charlie, for that he was grateful, but it didn't make things any easier.

"So….when you two kids getting married?" Stark asked with his usual lack of tact and shocking display of audacity.

"Easy," Charlie counseled softly, as he brushed past her. "Remember, he's a friend," his tone asked her to play nice as he lugged the heavy mug books from Bobby's trunk to theirs chatting amiably about nothing, while Dani blushed furiously and shot daggers at Stark from hooded eyes hidden by her shades.

They both felt it; Dani was angry and Stark embarrassed. Strangely, it was Charlie, the person most affected by Stark's betrayed who provided the bridge and acted as the buffer between his old partner and his new one. "Uh," Charlie played it off smoothly. "We're not in any hurry, but you'll be the first to know," he smiled blithely at Stark.

Stark continued to smile his pasted on grin and chew his gum loudly.

Dani slammed the trunk and climbed in the car. She was clearly pissed.

"Could you maybe not piss her off every time you see her?" Charlie asked his friend.

"What'd I say?" Stark grinned. "Come-on Charlie," Stark argued, "she's never gonna trust me. You and me both know that. But that girl…she loves you. Marry her and have kids," Stark argued. "It's what you've always wanted right?"

Charlie glared at his friend and got in the car knowing that Dani heard every word Stark said. They drove off wordlessly as Charlie wisely kept his mouth shut and Dani fumed.

She started to speak and then stopped several times before she was actually able to verbalize anything. "If… we ever get married, I don't want him anywhere near that," she finally settled on something. "And I would not trust that smarmy bastard within two hundred miles of my kids," her anger led her somewhere telling.

He was stunned into silence.

She growled in frustration. "Say something," she demanded.

"Our kids," he qualified.

She glared.

"You said 'my kids,' but technically they'd be our kids," he corrected meekly.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped.

He waited until the waves of heat rolling off her abated before stoking that fire once again. "You're gonna tell me when we get to that stage right?"

"What stage?"

"Us – married – with kids," he teased. "I didn't know that's something you'd even consider," he continued to toy with her anger dangerously.

"Well, it's not…. and I don't….so just drop it," she barked.

"Still….for you to have said that…means that you thought about it… about us and our kids. What they'd look like…what we'd be like together," he was pouring gasoline on a lit fire.

She crossed her arms and pouted – anger no longer worked on him.

"I think about it," he softened and tried to engage her with his eyes and his smile.

"Well, don't," she cautioned softer, "not for long time anyway."

He let it go, she'd inadvertently given him an insight he'd never had. That she thought of them that way, together – for a lifetime; committed and sharing everything; raising a family. It was something new and tantalizing and he'd wait forever just for the chance she dangled in front of him in her moment of fury.

He stopped again and without a word left the car. She didn't move, her anger fixed her in place replaying what she'd said over and over in her head. _Shit! Did I actually reference our kids? What the hell was I thinking?_

She was actually thinking about a freckled faced boy with blue eyes that had enchanted Max in the park. He could have been Crews as a child; his unruly, strawberry blonde hair and a winsome smile that promised trouble cloaked in a grin of tiny teeth. She'd instantly flashed forward to Charlie with children before she'd shaken the image from her brain. That night the fair little blue-eyed boy returned to her in fleeting dreams that left her awake and slightly disturbed. She glanced over at her sleeping partner's relaxed features and natural smile. _This was bad._

She was jolted from her reverie when he returned with a brightly colored coffee cup and despite her mood she smiled. He knew her too well. She was better when properly caffeinated.

"It's a triple, with raspberry and white chocolate," he promised. She reached and he withdrew the prize. "This is gonna cost you," he taunted, "a kiss and a smile."

Her initial smile was tight and forced, but the moment his soft lips captured hers it became real. He held onto her face with just the tips of his fingers trailing along her jaw line. When they broke her smile was soft, but genuine.

"Here," he wrapped her hands around the cup holding on moment, "All better?"

"I still don't like him," she groused.

His smile said he accepted that and he drove them to her parents' house with the radio bubbling energetic music at a low volume as Charlie alternatively hummed or whistled along.

He charmed the socks off her mother, which if Dani had not seen with her own eyes she would never have believed was possible. His easy smile and calm, confident manner had her mother blushing and offering tea within minutes. Even when the conversation touched on her father, Charlie was careful to seem disinterested in the outcome. Jack had called and he was working his way back into her mother's good graces but was out at the moment.

Dani's mother pulled her aside before they left to inquire about the intentions of the tall, pale man who smiled easily and touched her daughter often. A gentle squeeze of her shoulder or a light hand on her back did not go unnoticed by her mother. This man meant to intimate ownership, possession of her daughter and she allowed it. What's more she noticed Dani rest her hand on his knee and the familiarity with which they interacted bespoke far more than simple co-workers.

"Who is he really?" she asked in a terse whisper, "your boyfriend?"

"Mom," Dani rolled her eyes, "don't you think I'm a little old for boyfriends?"

"Very well, your lover then?" her mother bristled at the correction, but pursued the information doggedly.

"That's not what he is either," Dani tried to slide away without answering.

"Do you love him?" her mother pointedly inquired, holding Dani by the elbow.

"Yes," Dani answered smoothly and without hesitation or histrionics, "I do and it's serious, but that's all I'm saying."

"Is he a good man? Does he make enough money to take care of you?"

"I can take care of myself, but yes… he has plenty of money," she glanced at Charlie who was carefully examining pictures of her family on the mantle in the living room and trying not to seem like he was listening in. "He's a very good man," she commented as her gaze stayed on Crews. "Mom? You know him. Dad talked about him. He doesn't like him," she reminded her mother.

"Your father does not like many people," her mother deflected.

"Just don't tell him when you see him," Dani warned. "This is something I need to tell him face to face. He's already pissed that I left the Department."

"Why did you do that Dani? You worked so hard to get there," her mother beseeched her.

"I don't know… I guess I had reason to rethink why I became a cop in the first place. People think cops are all good guys, I found out that's not true and then he came along and my life went in a different direction," she continued to stare at her partner who felt her eyes and turned to look at her. He winked and she ducked her head.

"I just didn't feel like that was where I belonged anymore," she told her mother strongly. "Maybe I never did…belong there. Maybe I just went there because I thought it would impress him, I thought it was expected of me," she finished.

"And now?"

"Now? I belong somewhere else," she said as if it was the most normal thing to do. Quit your job and go gallivanting around with Charlie Crews. "And I think I've found my place," she explained, "with him."

"If you have found your place in this world, then you will finally find peace Dani," her mother responded thoughtfully. "This is a rare and special thing."

"I know, Mom," she smiled and hugged her mother, "believe me - I know."

"Come' on Crews," she raised her voice, "let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sashimi – Chapter Fourteen**

"So…your mom?" Charlie fished, "she likes me?"

"Yes, yes…she loves you," she acerbically told him what he already knew. She shot him a sideways skeptical look – the ones she used so effectively before she fell in love with him. It did not have the desired effect nor did it stop him from gloating.

"Ha!" he exclaimed boldly. "I knew it."

"Yes," Dani continued heavy on the sarcasm, "and when I told her how modest you were she was particularly impressed." She smirked at his pretend shocked look and continued, "and the part about your being a Buddhist monk didn't hurt either. Moms are big on that vow of chastity thing."

"You really have to practice lying more," he pulled her close and kissed her. His kisses travelled to her throat and neck, "she knows we're lovers and I'm pretty sure I heard you tell her that I was a good guy."

She hummed in happiness as he continued to manifest signs of his affection on her body, but snapped out of it long enough to quip, "you better hope I never start lying to you. You'll never know."

He raised his head, "Oh, I'll know." His smile was full of private unknowable things that made her blood rush, her skin heat up and her hand start undoing his shirt buttons. ***********************************************

_Three days later…._

"Honey, I'm home," he shouted from the door.

Only Max came to greet him, head low and tail wagging. "Momma's pissed huh fella?" he said softly scratching the dog's ears. "Dani?" he questioned louder.

"In here," she answered in a terse tone.

He found her in the living room, it was the only room with real furniture outside his barely used dining room. Mug books were strewn across the coffee table, the sofa and Dani was seated on the floor flipping through the large books, her head resting on one hand. Her arm was bent and the elbow and leaned against the table. She looked tired.

"You can sit on the couch. The dog needs to stay on the floor," he teased.

She was not amused. He took in her appearance and knew she'd been at it a long time. Her hair in a ponytail with a pencil sticking through the base looked like she'd down a fair amount of head scratching and she did not appear to have had much success. He didn't ask, it was probably a sore subject made worse by him leaving most of the day to pursue other leads on his own. He looked down at Max who was looking up at him expectantly. They both looked back at her.

"Want me to run you a bath?" he offered.

"I want you to shoot me in the head," she said darkly. Then she looked up, wrung her neck and eased, "but no. Unless it's gonna help me get through these – thanks, but no," she flipped the page of another book staring at him. "And I'd like to thank you for this lovely day," sarcasm dripped from her lips, as she smiled at him before returning her attention to the black & white Polaroid images.

He moved quietly to sit behind her on the couch. "Give it up. You've done enough for today," he leaned close and spoke in a low tone in her ear, as he gently placed his warm hands on her shoulders.

He pulled lightly and she sighed leaning back. His hands began to move in meaningful ways. The pressure he applied was moderate at first, working toward long, deep strokes that coaxed a groan from deep within his partner. Her head lolled back and his fingers rode into her hair. He pressed his palms together placing pressure on her skull.

"I want you to stop this and come upstairs with me," he spoke quietly. "You want to stop this and come upstairs with me," he repeated his slightly varied demand in what he hoped was an enticing tone.

"You're right," she acquiesced. "I could go for a nice long bath and other things you can do with those hands of yours," she smiled and slapped the book shut.

He stood up and helped her to her feet. "Did you wanna clean this up?"

"Don't move anything," she warned. She cast a look behind her. "There's order here. You just don't see it," she explained.

He puzzled at the Zen nature of her comment, knowing that was not her intent. It was how life was, seemingly chaotic with a layer of lunacy – but tied together with an order you could not see. Then he moved onto a more pressing and immediate question he had. "Wanna tell me why you're sitting on the floor when I paid a lot of perfectly good money for a couch?" He teased while tugging on her hand.

"Max," she explained gesturing at her shadow. "It's either both of us on the couch or both of us on the floor."

He stopped halfway up the stairs. He connected with her eyes, "If you want the dog on the furniture, then it's okay. It's your house too."

She nodded shyly, her face flushed and she looked down. "It's just that this is…." she began.

"Too much? Too fast?" he questioned trying to finish her thought even though the answers he supplied terrified. He was afraid, that she would reject him, leave him that he wasn't enough or worse, that he was too much.

Slowly her head rose and she met his eyes strongly. "No," she said quietly, "it's like I'm where I'd supposed to be for the first time in my life. It's like a dream – one I don't want to wake up from. We have a house, a dog and it's just some place I never expected to be. I'm in love with you, Charlie – you, not your house, not your car, not your money."

"You need to stop worrying about that – the money," he carefully explained. "I paid for that with twelve years of my life. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but considering where I am now and who I'm with…I wouldn't change anything. Everything I went through brought me to this moment – and this moment is good. This moment is great."

He waited for her to respond, but she couldn't speak so she just kissed him. Her kiss was sweet and light and full of the promise she felt. His gift to her was pulling from her dark uncertain past to a fresh, new future; it felt like being saved from quicksand. She tried to show him the only way she knew how with her own non-verbal expression of affection.

What they did was far more than simple sex and it always had been. He was an eager lover and they got carried away as he pressed her against the cold stonewall leaning the long line of his taut body into her softness. He groaned as her hands wove under his shirt and down the back of his pants, pulling him closer still. He dove to the sensitive joining of her neck and eagerly emblazoning signs of his passion there. Again he was rewarded with a moan of need, an expression of want from his never needy partner. They were interrupted by an annoyed bark.

"Hey, buzz kill," Charlie looked down, "I'm not hurting her," he explained to the pup. "She makes those noises cause she likes me," he grabbed Dani's hand. "He's going in the closet for the next hour."

"You're not putting my dog in the closet," she laughed as they climbed the stairs quickly hand in hand.

"How about the bathroom?" he teased.

"No," she laughed harder. "Not there either," she grinned so wide her face hurt.

How his simple presence could do this – bring her from exhausted to exhilarated in minutes amazed her. Only part of it was the amazing things he was doing with his hands and his mouth, she realized the baser part began the moment she heard the throaty growl of his car in the drive. She'd miss him – Charlie Crews – just being there with her. She'd never felt that way about anyone before Crews – not even David.

"Look if he bites me when we're….you know…." he explained shyly. "Let's just say there are certain delicate, irreplaceable parts of me exposed," he was having trouble staying upright and finishing sentences as they stripped clothes off each other.

"Then maybe you'll have to lie back and let me take that chance," she teased, pushing him onto his back, "I'll protect you."

This time he laughed. His rich baritone laughed reverberated through her as he pulled her atop him. Their kissing continued as she ran her hands up his chest and sat back straddling his waist. She was putting him in exquisite agony.

Max whined and Dani stopped briefly in mid rock to speak to the pup, "Shhh, baby."

Content his girl was fine; he circled thrice and lay down.

Dani returned her attention to her lover, her smile devilish. "Now, where were we?"

His grin lit the room. "I believe we were back to me letting you drive," he joked.

"Letting me?" she arched an eyebrow, which in their current position looked far from intimidating; it looked sexy _– very damned sexy_, he thought nodding.

"Have I mentioned how much I enjoy your driving?" he pulled and she came willingly to his chest. Inches away from her face, he breathed. "Just don't let your dog bite me." She laughed.

Before Charlie, Dani never laughed in bed. Bed meant sex and sex was serious business, but with Crews it was fun and it always would be. He tried to roll her onto her back and she stopped him. "Try it my way," she challenged. He stopped struggling, but did not stop moving.

"Don't I always do everything you say?"

"No," she giggled.

"Okay, where'd you put my girlfriend cause Dani Reese doesn't giggle?" he teased.

"Girlfriend?"

"Until you'll let it be something else, something more," he promised. "I'm ready whenever you are," he rocked his pelvis against her.

Dani was still thinking about his comment – them as something else, something more and what was holding her back.

"Dani, you here?" he wondered aloud.

"I'm here, Charlie," she leaned forward and kissed him hard.

The rest of the evening was a blur. Max discovered a lot of new sounds his humans could make as groans, growls, yelps and laughs rang from the bed above him, before the bedroom was somewhat silent holding only the sound of contentment and light snoring from the tall red haired man. *******************

He woke the following morning to long rays of light and found himself utterly alone. He reasoned wherever Dani was, Max was sure to be also. He prowled the mansion like a big cat on bare feet looking for her. He found her in the living room, once again seated on the floor.

She was freshly showered, dressed in sweats and back at it – nose in the books. Max's tail beat against the floor lazily acknowledging Crews who held a finger to his lips as if the dog could understand the gesture, but amazingly he calmed and closed his eyes again. He was a smart dog. Charlie watched her for several moments leaning in the darkened doorway before she looked up and noticed him.

"How long have you been there?" she smiled.

"Long enough to know you need a break," he offered, "and coffee. Come' on let's take the mutt for a walk. Max," Charlie barked and the pup leapt to his feet. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Dani's eyes rolled. "You two go, I'm nearly done," she brushed him off, "but bring…"

"Coffee? Of course," he vowed. "Come' on Max," he slapped his leg and the pup scrambled to his feet. He gave a backwards glance at Dani who waved him away and he eagerly joined Crews.

"I swear he understands what I'm saying," she muttered, sighed and redoubled her efforts.

Minutes later after she was certain Charlie was gone, she dialed her mother. Their conversation was entirely in Farsi. In it Dani reminded her mother not to speak of her relationship with Crews, but to ask her father to phone her. Her mother repeated that Jack was under the impression she'd hung up on him and still sullen about it.

"That's true," Dani switched to English. "I want to talk to him, not for him to yell at me," she informed her mother. "I'm not interested in what he thinks about my choices. It's clear to me that nothing I do will ever be good enough or right in his eyes, but I don't really care anymore. I need information from him now."

They said their goodbyes and Dani set the phone down and finished her work. There were eleven pictures that for some reason or another looked familiar to her.

Crews returned sweaty, with an exhausted and slightly wet dog and bearing gifts of rich espresso. He was impressed by her work as they went over it together.

A quick phone call to Seever eliminated six of the men because they were people Dani had crossed paths with at work. Arrests she'd made years later when their appearance changed with age, but she still recognized them in their younger photos.

"That leaves these five," she said.

Charlie's brain fired something from the year before. _Not for nothing, Jack - but there were six, there are five, there could just as easily be four_. What if his presumption was wrong? What if Jack wasn't one of those six? What if it was these five?

"Did you exclude anyone else?" he asked, "for any reason."

"Uh, yeah…" she rifled through some pages, "just this one guy. File has a notation that he's dead. Killed in 1995 – doesn't say how," she remarked innocently. "What?" she questioned knowing he was seeing something she didn't.

"Show me," he asked her a nudged just a little. Maybe she was onto something and she didn't know it…maybe…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: New country - new internet - new and interesting displays. I'm struggling with breaks between thoughts, so it this is hard to follow, I apologize. Thanks for bearing with me. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Sashimi – Chapter Fifteen**

"Okay," he confirmed for himself. "There's something I need you to hear," he chattered excitedly. He pulled his laptop out, booted it up and played the audio clip for her.

She stared him with an odd mixture of curiosity and concern. "Who did you wiretap and why?"

He wrung his neck, ignored her question and urged her to listen again. "I thought the 'was six, then five, then four thing' was a threat, but maybe I was looking at it wrong. What if it's these 'six, then five' when this guy dies, and possibly four means one of them?"

When he finished her hands were on her hips in a stance he recalled meant, _stop whatever you are doing this instant_. "Who?" she emphasized the first word repeating her question more slowly for the Crews impaired portion on her audience, "were you wiretapping….and why?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," he objected. "You knew I was pursuing who framed me and why," he countered emphasizing his last word. He was hedging and she wasn't taking it lying down. They were headed for disagreement in meaningful way, it was a car wreck he could see coming.

She glared, turned stiffly and walked out.

"Hmm," Charlie wondered. "Think she's pissed at me or just what I did?" he asked Max. "Think it matters?" he followed up with the dog who walked to him and stood on his back legs and whined. "Yeah, okay…I'll go apologize."

He followed on his longer legs, but Dani Reese when properly motivated could cover ground quickly. He found her in their bedroom, stuffing clothes in a bag and muttering to herself.

"Where are you going?" he asked in wonder.

"Listen," she whirled on his furious, "I am willing to put up with a lot from you. You talk too much, that thing with the fruit, your fixation on who drives, your Zen, but I draw the line at sleeping with someone who keeps secrets from me. I can't do this," she gestured between the two of them, "not like this."

He was stunned. He'd always thought he'd be the one to place limits on their relationship, but she was doing it first. That meant something – she was seriously committed to them and he was the one holding them back. "Wait," he stammered.

"Too late, Crews," she stormed past him, "I'm leaving."

"Honey, please," he implored.

Those words from him at this moment were the precise ones that set her into orbit.

She stormed back to stand under his chin as she annunciated each word, "Don't call me that," she poked her finger into his chest. "You hear me? I don't want you to call me that."

"Dani," he almost barked. When she turned he pled, "don't go."

She struggled, but not in any meaningful way. She was fighting herself. In the past she'd have stormed out and done something stupid and self-destructive, but that was before. She knew she was overreacting. They'd disagreed before, but it was his tone not his words that held her.

"Please, calm down, let me explain," he implored. She glared but didn't move.

"Look, I'm not good at this either – sharing – trusting. I suck at it. I made a mistake, but I'm committed to this – to us. I love you and I'm not the one walking out," he ended emotional, angry and bordering on shouting.

_But Charlie Crews didn't shout – did he?_ He was angry, hurt and afraid – of losing her.

"You can't walk out moron," she said sourly, "you live here."

"So do you," he said softly.

She was sullen but still.

"We live here – together. I want us to live here together. I don't want you storming off when I do something you don't like. Cause I'm probably gonna do that - a lot. There are plenty of rooms in this place to get away from me, but don't leave…" his voice broke at the end of his plea.

She tossed the bag of clothes into the corner out of frustration, "fuck."

"I'd definitely prefer that to this," he joked darkly. She smirked at him; it was break in the otherwise dark clouds. "And if we're not gonna use pet names I don't see why you're the only one who gets to…" he tested the waters.

The incredulity in her stare told him she didn't know what the hell he was talking about. The fire behind her dark eyes had dimmed; it was now a slow burning ember, still capable of hurting him, but he could handle it – if he was careful. Charlie was still learning care with people; he had so little experience over the past decade.

"Idiot, moron and my personal favorite - fuck wad. Those little gems you have to express your obvious affection for me," he teased. "Mine are benign even complimentary in comparison," he pressed further.

The corners of her mouth twitched as she tried hard not to smile. She did tend to call him things – they just weren't affectionate. Maybe she was doing this wrong.

"I haven't called you that last one in a long time," she argued.

"Not in the two months since we've been together, but it was a favorite of yours before that. You have to admit it is colorful and sometimes accurate," he joked.

"Dammit, Charlie," she swore softly. "Are you ever gonna let that go?"

"Yeah, call me whatever you want, but don't take off." He carefully gathered her in his embrace and when she didn't resist he pulled her closer, until her head came to rest against his heart. It hammered loudly, his fear at her imminent departure wasn't imagined. He was stressed. He sighed heavily trying to release some of the obvious tension in his mind and body. They were still for several moments.

"I need to tell you something," they said simultaneously. He rocked her back and forth against his chest and breathed softly into her hair. "You go first."

"It's just been one helluva a month," she exhaled against him and he felt her lean more fully into him. "Leaving work, my father's reaction, us and then this morning…" she pressed away from him. "Charlie I'm late."

"That's okay, honey," he slipped again using his favorite term of affection. "There's nowhere you need to be," he reassured her totaling missing the point of her disclosure. She elbowed him.

"Not late for work," she said elbowing him, "late."

"As in?" he searched for her meaning.

"As in something usually happens every four weeks for a woman didn't happen for me this month," she said annoyed at his dullness.

"Oh…" he reacted in shock. "Oh," he became excited as reality dawned on him, "you mean…"

She put her hand over his mouth, "don't say it," she complained.

He patiently, removed her hand, kissed it, and then he kissed her wrist and pointedly said exactly what she'd told him not to, "you mean we're pregnant."

He'd said, "we're pregnant," an affirmation, not an accusation. His smile was one she'd never seen before. It was dazzling, wonderful and filled her with butterflies. Maybe it was one from who he used to be – before life had stripped away his illusions. She'd caused him to experience awe and wonder and it was inspiring to evoke that kind of emotion in a man as guarded as her partner.

"And here I was wondering what I'd have to do to trick you into marrying me," he leaned in and kissed her very lightly withdrawing. "This explains a lot," he revisited her lips with slow but fleeting kisses leaving her wanting, following his lips, but not his train of thought.

"This explains what?" she pressed against his chest distancing herself and eyeing him skeptically. She'd only just figured this out in the past week, _how could he have noticed something earlier._

"You getting up early that last few mornings, for one. I thought I saw you drinking orange juice last week, but I thought I was hallucinating. And then there's Max," he explained.

"How does this? Or potentially this…let's not get ahead of ourselves…explain Max," she commented, but the anger was gone.

Charlie didn't want to answer, because to answer would risk making her mad again, but she glared so he relented. "You mother him, you call him 'baby', you watch him like a hawk – like a mother watches her young. He's practice," he said meekly and winced.

"Hmm," she considered his observations and found them to all be true.

"Your father," he said seemingly out of the blue. He thought it was time for his portion of the disclosure, but the possibility they were expecting occupied Dani's mind so entirely she mistook his comment for another facet of their rapidly evolving domestic partnership.

"Oh, he's gonna flip," she stated the obvious. "He hates you, hates us even working together. When he finds out we're…." she left the last bit unsaid.

He found it adorable. "You think? That because you refuse to say the word 'pregnant' that somehow we magically won't be parents in nine months?"

"Eight months, maybe seven," she corrected, "somewhere around there."

"Then this happened our first time together," he correctly deduced doing the math.

"Uh, yeah," she blushed. "I wasn't seeing Tidwell anymore and birth control has been linked to some types of cancer, so… I was taking a break from it when we started seeing each other."

"Never take it again," he said strongly. She shook her head at him.

"I mean…if there's a chance it could hurt you, then never take it again."

"Uh, that's not a good idea," she argued. "If how quickly, how easily, this happened – if this happened…is any indication, we could be a very dangerous combination."

"Sweetheart," he cautioned, "We are a very dangerous combination. We always will be, but I don't want you taking chances with your health. If we have to find another way, I'll do something," he offered.

"I don't get you," she said truly stunned. "All the things I've willingly done to my body: alcohol abuse, drug addiction, random sexual partners and you're worried about birth control hurting my health?"

"How about you look after the kids and let me worry about you?" he joked.

She nodded her acceptance. She might not like it, but she'd tolerate it. His protective streak when it came to her was instinct. Like her and Max she realized. It wasn't like anything she said would stop him or there was anything she could do about it, she reasoned. Charlie was a force of nature.

He kissed her drawing his hands through her long dark hair. His hands cradled her gently as his kisses grew deeper and more insistent. All at once he broke and seemingly returned to his initial statement, "but about your father…"

"Shhh," she counseled. "I'll protect you," she promised smiling.

He never got to tell her about the wiretap as she pulled him down to kiss him again. It would come up again, he reasoned – probably at a very inopportune time knowing his luck.

* * *

><p>"Isn't this better than working?" he said trailing his hands down her arms and back while luxuriating in their post coital bliss of the mid-afternoon.<p>

"Yes, Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy," she smiled and kissed his chest, "your life is carefree."

"Our life," he corrected. "And," he chuckled, "Bruce Wayne he has a dark cave full of toys, not an light, airy, but empty mansion. And he most definitely does not have a hot wife and a baby on the way."

"I never said I'd marry you," she argued.

He rolled onto his side to gauge her level of seriousness – with Dani one could never tell. She winked at him and he released a sigh of relief.

"But no big production number," she warned. "Just you, me, my mom…" she listed her guest list. And just like that they were getting married. He'd never actually asked, she'd never officially said yes. Like most conversations they had – it was just something that happened.

"And honey? 'We' have millions, not billions," he corrected.

"You're never gonna stop calling me that are you?" she reasoned, but didn't sound angry about the prospect.

"Nope," he said cheerily, "and you don't dislike it as much as you pretend to," he gambled.

"Whatever," she deflected, but he was right. She was finding belonging to a man like Charlie Crews was something she enjoyed. He belonged to her too, of course. Whereas other men's eyes strayed, he seldom seemed to notice other women – even when they went out of their way to jog past – real slow – three times in the park.

She knew he'd tolerate almost anything from her – anything but separation. That seemed to be the thing that he refused to compromise on. She lived there, they were having a baby; they might as well marry - besides she loved him and that wasn't likely to change no matter what he did.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" he wondered.

"Lunch," she lied.

"You're not gonna check behind the bookshelves for greased poles while I'm out are you?" He continued the Batman joke.

She sniggered at him. He pulled on his pants and announced he was getting Chinese and he'd be back in a half an hour.

"Oh," he cautioned, as he buttoned his shirt. "I wouldn't mention the whole Batman thing to Ted," he counseled. "He thinks he's Alfred for some strange reason."

"What's that make me?" she played along.

"I'd say, we get lunch, call your mom and book a flight to Tahoe, and by tomorrow that makes you Mrs. Charlie Crews," he boasted. "I don't use that money for much but this would be one of those times a private plane and a limo would be appropriate."

* * *

><p>They were both fed and Max had dragged off a paper carton into the corner in a vain attempt to wrest the last grain of white rice from it with his small pink tongue when Charlie revisited the reason for their earlier disagreement. He needed to get it out in the open and now was as good a time as any.<p>

"Dani, about your father," he tried again.

"No," she said strongly, "I don't want him there." She was fixated on their impending marriage now that it was agreed to.

"That's not what I mean, although I feel the same way about my father," he assured her. "I mean the tape? It was surveillance I did - on your father," he confessed.

She wasn't angry, part of her even expected this – her father was after all a different man than the one she'd loved as a little girl. He was mean and it all started about the time she was twelve. She suspected his part in Crews incarceration and her father had as much as admitted it by his behavior and subsequent disappearance. "Is he a bad man?" she asked sounding very small and unsure.

"Yes, honey. He is," Charlie told her, putting an arm around her and holding her close. "I believe he's in part responsible for the charade that resulted in my conviction, but he didn't do it alone. There was a man in the car with him that day who I thought was threatening him. I thought your father was one of the six…and Carl Ames, but maybe I was wrong."

"So these six men with records were what? The precursors to Roman maybe?"

He shrugged unsure. "There's so much I don't know…" he offered gently.

"Tell me what you do know," she asked.

He stared at her thinking. "There's only one thing I know for sure – it's that I love you." He was brave not only with his body, but also with his heart. "I think we need to talk to you father."

"I already set it up," she segued, "I'll let you know how it goes."

"Uh-uh," he insisted, "you don't go there alone. I'm coming with you."

"That's going to go badly," she argued. "My father hates you."

"The feeling is mutual," he commented, "but I'm not sending my partner, much less my pregnant wife in there alone."

"First of all, I'm not your wife yet; secondly, I can take care of myself; third, he's my father – do you really think he'd hurt me?" she stated her objections very clinically, "and…that's very un-Zen," she added with a touch of her usual sarcasm.

Classic Dani it was well thought out and not emotional, she had the stronger argument, which he was determined to take apart. "First, that's semantics. It a piece of paper, but you are mine and I am yours and we both know it. Second, its not you I don't trust – it's him. Third, there are a lot of ways to hurt someone. Although we think we've experienced them all – I'm not willing to take that chance with you," his eyes were dark and serious. This seemed to make an impact on his tough little partner.

"Un-Zen? That's inventive and okay, I'll give you that," he admitted, "and it's a cross I'm willing to bear. There are some areas of my life that Zen doesn't work in – your father and my father are two of them."

They were at an impasse, but she gave in. She'd never done that before, not about anything more substantive than driving. He was impressed; he'd earned her trust. He snuggled her up against his body. "Will you let me buy you a ring? A nice big rock?" She squirmed and scowled. "No? Then how about a classic wedding band?"

"Will you wear one too?" she asked shyly.

"Of course, I will have 'I'm Dani Reese's guy tattooed on my forehead' if you want," he joked.

"I think you're got enough tattoos," she kissed his chest. Her lips pressed against his shirt where she knew an ugly prison tattoo lay. She knew his body by heart now.

"Do they bother you?"

"No," she said simply, "no more than any of your other battle scars."

"My battle scars?" he laughed.

"That's how I see them," she sat up and straddled him. She unbuttoned his shirt and her little hands traced his ribcage's many scars, while her eyes examined his closely.

"So….like what you see?" he joked. "Sure I couldn't use a fresh coat of paint?"

"I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe the pain you went through to get them," she mused. "I'm proud of you Charlie, that you're so tough - that you could endure so much. I know it hurt you more than you let on, but you're brave in ways that could never be."

"You really think that?" She nodded and bit her lip. He kissed it sweetly and added, "then you have no idea how brave you are." The look she gave him demanded more.

"Taking a chance with me, first as a partner, then as more than a partner – that took guts. A lot of people, most people bet against me."

'They don't know you like I do," she commented.

"Honey?" he used that term he loved and she was beginning to get used to, "nobody knows me like you do." His grin was irresistible; at least it was to her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sashimi – Chapter Sixteen**

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank a lot of anonymous or semi-anonymous reviewers for their comments over the past few days. So kanna, walk65, Lovelife, H2O, fox and those of you I can't send a private note – thanks. I appreciate the encouragement and patronage._

* * *

><p>For Charlie, the tricky part of going with her to talk with Jack turned out to be that he didn't actually get to talk with Jack. Dani abandoned him in the kitchen, dragging her father into the garage. She managed the feat of holding Charlie in place with just one finger – a gesture he felt more appropriate for Max but he stayed nonetheless.<p>

He exhaled and turned to find himself in the Reese family kitchen with Dani's mother. His mouth went dry as he realized he was going to be grilled by the woman who used to interrogate his tough little partner when she was a teenager. She was probably where Reese got her daunting looks and the superhuman ability to compel confessions from subjects. Adding to his unease was the fact he was certain that she wielded the true influence in the Reese home; this he just felt as she leveled a blistering gaze at him – and he had even done anything yet or at least nothing she knew about.

He swallowed hard and tried his most winsome smile. "Hi, I'm…" he began.

"Charlie Crews," Dani's mother finished, "I remember." Her chin tipped up just a bit making her appear both regal and disapproving. "You are my daughter's partner," she stated succinctly.

"I think we both know I'm a lot more than that," he said deciding honesty was his best policy when it came to Mrs. Reese.

"And just what does that mean Mr. Crews?"

He squirmed slightly, then settled down and took a seat at the kitchen table, "I'd really rather she tell you."

Dani's mother sat opposite him holding his eyes. She stared at him for a long moment, adding emphasis to her next comment, "and I would rather you did."

There was a brief staring contest before he gave in and told her the cold, hard truth.

"Okay," he leaned forward on his elbows. "I love her. I want to marry her. I want to make her deliriously happy, but we all know Dani's not prone to that kind of happiness, so I'll settle for her always knowing she's loved and believing that."

"What makes you think that is what she wants?" her mother asked skeptically.

"I just want to be with her. Anything she wants she can have; anything she wants to do I'll support her; and anywhere she want to go she can – just as long as she comes home to me at night," he told her mother his level of commitment.

"I've never known Dani to want a home of her own," she challenged.

"Things change," he countered.

"People don't," she objected and in that she knew herself to be right. Charlie considered her statement; it was one he agreed with. It was something he believed too.

"What was your daughter like as a child?" he questioned boldly.

"I don't know what difference that makes," she dismissed his question.

"Who we are…who we'll always be… is usually fixed by the age of five. Sometimes we lose that; become social chameleons trying to fit in, trying to impress, trying to gain someone's approval or love, but we are who we are – and we are always that."

"You are a strange man," she commented.

"I get that a lot," he joked easily. "I am also a very committed man and when I say that I love her you can believe it," he told her the truth.

She looked hard into his eyes trying to divine something unknowable. He endured her scrutiny without further comment. She got up and wordlessly made tea. When the cups were set and piping hot beverages steaming from the table, she spoke again.

"Dani was a happy child. She was giving and loving. She was innocent and trusting. She smiled freely and loved without boundary."

"When did that change?"

"I guess she was about twelve," her mother commented surprised he'd ask. "That was a bad year for all of us what with the shooting…" she stopped talking abruptly as if she'd said something she shouldn't have.

Charlie reached across the table and took her mother's hands, "all I want is for her to be that person again. I think she can and she wants to, but time and circumstance made her take that sweet little girl and hide her away."

"This is true," she admitted shyly, "and I believe you Mr. Crews."

"Charlie," he corrected.

"Charlie," she repeated softly and smiled. Entry to the Reese family was not assured, but he was making in roads. Before she'd been outwardly accepting, but he knew she, like Dani, reserved true judgment for quieter and more private times. Their trust was earned not freely given and he was committed to earning her trust, just as he had Dani's.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile in the garage…<em>

"You here to tell me why you quit your job? Or why you're shacked up with that nut job Crews?" Jack opened strongly.

"He is not a 'nut job' and I am not 'shacked up' with him," Dani defended her mate.

"So you're not sleeping with Charlie Crews?"

Her head dropped. "Dad…we're not here to discuss my sex life, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to you has been pretty vast. If you're gonna quiz me about the details of ALL my sexual encounters….we're gonna be here a very long time."

All she really had to do was allude to her vast sexual repertoire and her father usually clammed right up. It was one of the few things she could use to shut him up.

"What do you call spending every night at his house for the past couple months?"

"I can't believe you are obsessing about this," she ranted, "of all the things. I just quit my job. But let's not talk about me. Let's talk about you. Your informant killed an entire family. You and Carl Ames covered up the murder, hid a child and conspired to send an innocent man to prison." She glared and he stayed wisely mute as she catalogued his long list of sins.

She paused for dramatic effect, a gift from her mother and finished strongly guaranteeing she'd have the floor having shamed him into silence – a remarkable feat considering her father's ego. "You are personally involved in felonies too numerous to mention and quite possibly involved in something far worse – although I can't imagine at this point what could be worse. But the thing you're fixated on, the thing that really bugs the shit out of you - is the fact that I'm in love with Charlie Crews," she ended shouting. Only her father could make her this mad.

Jack said nothing, but pulled a hidden bottle of whiskey from a cabinet and poured himself a good measure in a glass that stayed in the garage for just such days as this. He hoisted at Dani in jest and then drank the whole thing, wincing as it burned all the way down.

"Explain yourself," she demanded her hands on her hips.

"Now you're in love with him?" Jack remained fixated on her relationship with Crews, ignoring all other aspects of her rant.

"Yes," she exhaled in exasperation. Both her father and Crews possessed the capacity to thoroughly and completely exasperate her. "Now, will you please drop it, so we can talk about what I can here for?"

"I did all those things you said," he admitted angrily. "There's more that you don't know. Dani – you don't want to know the things I did," he argued.

"I want to know what happened to the man who raised me," she asked honestly.

"I…I made mistakes," he looked at his feet, "ones that I'm still paying for."

"And who's gonna pay for what happened to Crews? For what you and your buddies did to him?" she demanded.

"The City of Los Angeles paid him $50 million dollars," Jack laughed. "I'd say he'd been pretty well compensated."

"You have no idea what being in that place did to him," she countered. "You haven't seen the scars on his body and you'll never know the ones on his soul. I hate you for your part in this," she told him a hard truth.

"Dani," her father patronized, "don't be melodramatic. You've hated me far before you ever even heard of Charlie Crews."

"Fine," she agreed. "You're right."

"Something we can both agree on," he commented darkly.

He poured another stiff drink, winked at her and twisted the knife hard, "wanna drink Dani?" He knew how hard it was for her. He might have even known how long she'd struggled with alcoholism. He really was a mean bastard.

"Actually," she regarded him coolly, "I want you to look at some photos."

"What?" he spat.

"Tell me if you know these men," she ordered. "Then tell me how you used them. What you, Mickey Rayborn and Carl Ames and your little bunch of thugs used them for because let's face it Dad, you guys haven't been cops since I was a little kid."

"You can tell your boyfriend that if he's got a question for me, he can come out here and ask me like a man, not send my daughter to do his dirty work," Jack goaded.

"I'm here because 'I' want to know," she countered.

"You ever consider the reason he's fucking you is just to get to me?" Again meanness was his only reaction.

She reasoned that if your only tool was a hammer then all your problems looked like nails. Her father lacked tools; she didn't. She let the anger she used to reach for roll away. She didn't want to be like him, ever. She sighed heavily, but did not gratify him by addressing his nasty comments.

One by one she silently laid the mug shots on his workbench snapping the corners of each one as it hit the flat surface. She repeated her demand, "what did these men do for you?"

Jack sauntered over and peered at the photos out of curiosity more than any desire to be helpful. He scoffed and retreated. "Those guys? I don't know any of them," he lied.

"Thanks, Dad." Dani played her hand strongly. "For confirming what I already knew, these men worked for you. I don't know what they did just yet, but I will find out."

"Yeah? Gonna be kinda hard since you quit your job isn't it Ms. Smarty Pants," he snidely commented. "Bet you're wishing you hadn't been so quit to run off with the convict, now aren't you?"

"You know all this did for me Dad?" she smiled. "It made me 110% certain that leaving the LAPD with Crews was the best decision I ever made. Cause if you are what qualifies for LAPD's finest…I don't want any part of that Department," she turned on her heel and walked out.

Jack remained in the garage, licking his wounds and drinking. _She didn't know anything. How could she?_

* * *

><p>She walked into the kitchen and grabbed her partner roughly by the hand.<p>

"We're not gonna finish having tea?" he protested weakly.

Dani growled and glared. He made their apologies and beat a hasty retreat. Roya apparently used to Dani and her father arguing and one or both of them storming off did not protest. When they hit the car, he demanded something of her. "Honey?" When he caught her eyes, he told her to "breathe."

Something in her eyes told him he'd said the right thing.

Her response was a whispered, "I love you."

It wasn't a secret; it was breathless admission she couldn't hold in. It was appreciation and it was relief, but more than that it was real. It was felt deep in her soul; a place Jack Reese and his meanness and anger could no longer touch.

"We need to talk about the 'we' were gonna talk to your Dad thing because I think I understood it differently than it actually happened," he talked in circles to calm her. "See, I actually thought that it would involve us being in the same room, at the same time. Perhaps I misunderstood the concept," he paused and waited for her dark look indicating she was actually listening before continuing. "So the next time we're gonna…"

"There's not gonna be a next time," she interrupted. "I got what we need."

"He knows them?"

"Oh, yeah," she confirmed.

"Did he say what they did?"

"No," she laughed. She scoffed at his naïveté when it came to her father. "He actually denied knowing them. That's how I know he did – or does – know them," she explained.

"Huh?" Charlie questioned, clearly confused.

"You don't speak my father," she explained. "If he really didn't know them, he'd have been all kinds of curious; he'd have wanted to know – insisted on knowing - why we were asking, what this was about….instead he denied, denied, denied, which is how I know he's up to his neck in this."

Charlie raised an eyebrow knowing what she was about to suggest.

"Now we just have to tail him," she asserted. "He'll make contact with someone who might actually tell us something."

"Today?" he questioned.

"Today, tonight, this weekend – however long it takes," she stated firmly. He scowled. "What?" she questioned.

"I thought we were getting married this weekend," he said shyly.

"Did you? You didn't tell my mother did you?" she asked grabbing him by the arm.

"Uh, no," he answered. "We talked about other stuff."

"What other stuff?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Oh, you know…just common stuff; weather, politics, hockey scores, curling," he joked.

Her eye roll let him know they were back in balance and her interaction with her father had no lasting effect on her psyche or mood.

"Hey, we could get Bobby to help," he suggested. She groaned.

"I'd rather just take a shift with Max," she complained. "You sit in a car with Stark for hours on end if you want."

"Well, if I sit in a car with you for hours on end, I think we'd end up in the backseat doing naughty things," he joked.

She grinned. "That might be fun," she suggested.

"Do we really have to tail your father this weekend? I'd rather spend my weekend in bed with you," he complained. "If I don't capitalize your momentary lapse of reason, you might never marry me."

"Relax Crews," she smiled. "I said I'd do it; I'll do it."

"Great, I'd hate to have to resort to tying you up," he quipped.

"You never know, I might enjoy that," she winked at him conspiratorially.

This time he blushed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sashimi – Chapter Seventeen**

There were in the midst of minor difference of opinion, most people would call it an argument except that is was impossible to argue with Charlie Crews. He could take the most seemingly constructive argument and turn it sideways. He was currently talking himself out of the idea of her participating in their weekend surveillance.

"Nope," he said smiling in that harmless yet stubborn way of his. "You need to be home, sleeping in a real bed, eating good food and not eating take out in some stuffy car."

"First of all, we always eat take out – even at home, "she pronounced with a determined scowl. "Secondly, my father rarely stays up or goes out after 9PM," she countered, "so we'll both be home and in bed at a reasonable hour and I'm pregnant - not an invalid."

She stymied him because his brain pondered over the possibility that this marked the first time she'd said those words - "I'm pregnant" - aloud. After a moment, his brain reengaged and he raised an eyebrow at her theoretical participation, plowing straight ahead, "I just thought Bobby and I would…"

"Uh-uh," she wagged a finger at him. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather Chatty Cathy not know what we're up to."

"And you don't trust him…" he argued.

"And I don't trust him," she confirmed what he already knew to be true.

"All right, but I'm letting you know now... that Bobby…would let me listen to my Zen tape," he goaded.

"Crews," she threatened in a low tone.

"Of course, Bobby wouldn't let me kiss him," he teased her further.

"You never know he might," she shot back. "You ever ask him?"

"That's slightly disturbing and not the least bit funny," he scowled.

"Play that Zen tape and I won't be letting you kiss me either," she taunted.

He really needed to realize that teasing Dani was never a winning play for him. She was much better at it than him.

"Okay," he relented. "Guess I'll just have to breath deeply," he conceded.

"Yes," she smiled happily having won their almost argument on all counts.

* * *

><p><em>Hours later...<em>

"Do you have to breath so loud?" she asked.

"Me or Max?"

"Both of you," she looked sideways at him, "and Max has had his tongue in my ear half the day," she complained wiggling her finger in her ear canal.

"Remind me to remind you - to take a shower tonight," he wiggled his finger in his own ear. "I'd hate to be revisiting spots the dog has previously licked," he pushed Max into the backseat.

"Nice visual," she commented dryly.

"You're particularly grouchy today. You feeling alright?"

"Not really Crews," she looked at him scorn clearly present on her face. "We've been sitting here for four hours and for all we know my father is sleeping in today," she commented darkly, looking at her watch for the 11th time in the past two hours.

"And?" he tried to drag more from his reticent mate. Reese endured surveillance quite well normally. She wasn't feeling well at all.

She leaned on her elbow and looked out the window away from him. "I'm hungry," she admitted. "Starving actually," she looked down at the empty coffee cup in the cup holder. It had been empty for hours.

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked reaching his long arm into the backseat. He pulled a neatly folded paper bag from the floorboard and opened the top.

"Tell me you brought donuts," she begged.

"Something better," he grinned. "Peaches," he pronounced looking down into the bag at the plump, round and furry fruits.

"Pass," she turned away. "I draw the line at eating food with it's own fur. I'd just as soon eat Max," she sounded disappointed.

"Oh, ye of little faith," he chuckled. "I brought some lovely red seedless grapes for you – my picky little eater." He pulled the peaches out and sat them on the console between the before producing a plastic carton of glossy red grapes. Dani's interest was piqued. She leaned into the car and examined the carton with obvious interest.

Max put two paws over the backseat.

"Get off my girl's grapes," Charlie pushed the pup back. Max whined. "I'll share my peaches with you," he consoled the dog letting him sniff the fruit. Max gave the peach a good sniff and walked to Dani's side of the car.

"I think you're gonna have to fight him for your grapes," Charlie joked.

Dani smiled. They were having fun in the least fun environment possible. It could have been more fun, if she'd consented to do surveillance from the backseat like he'd suggested. However, they'd have probably missed any movement short of an earthquake.

* * *

><p>Shortly before noon, the garage door swung up and Jack Reese's silver Cadillac backed out of the driveway. "We're on," Dani announced, shoving the grapes into the back of the car.<p>

Max buried his head in the box, but found the squirmy little grapes hard to get his teeth around. He was rooting around in the floorboard making frustrated noises when Dani put the car into gear. He was frustrated further by the jostling, which just made capturing his prize harder. He barked his annoyance at the grapes. Charlie opened the back window to distract him.

"My dad will see that," she commented.

"Do you want him to get sick in the car?" Charlie countered.

"Fine," she acquiesced. "I'll drop further back."

* * *

><p>Jack Reese drove to a country club and removed a set of golf clubs from the trunk of his car. "Your dad always play golf?" Charlie asked.<p>

"No," Dani answered, "never that I can recall."

"He sure plays a lot of golf now," he commented. "I've seen him here before," he filled her in. "Wonder if this is just a good public place for a meeting?"

"You know what the nice thing about golf clubs is?" she smiled. He didn't. "They keep a record of tee times and those records are usually pretty accurate."

"So we could come back in a few hours and find out who he played with?" Charlie offered.

"Yes," she put the car back in gear and they went home. Dani disappeared upstairs for a shower and Charlie made breakfast – a real breakfast – not just fruit. He scrambled eggs with chopped chorizo and cheese. He buttered some toast and put a thick layer of strawberry jam on it. He fried some bacon and left the drippings over Max's kibble as he carried a plate upstairs.

Dani was drying her hair.

"Hey," he said carrying her plate with a bottle of orange juice under one arm. "Breakfast," he gestured for her to sit down. "In bed, well kinda."

She smiled and turned off the hair dryer. "Aren't you gonna eat?" she asked with her mouth full. She really was hungry.

"Already did," he lied. It was a little white lie and it didn't linger.

"We were up early," he offered. "Why don't you lie down for awhile?" He pulled back the coverlet. "Let me have that plate," he took the dish and fork from her and tucked her in.

"Leave the OJ," she yawned.

"As my lady wishes," he joked and kissed her lightly.

He retreated to the kitchen to clean up, washing dishes and putting away things he'd taken out to cook. "Mama's tired," Charlie talked to the disappointed dog who came downstairs after finding the bedroom door shut. "I know you're disappointed, but how about you and me go for a jog?" Max happily complied.

Charlie jogged about four miles. He and Max came home thirsty and exhausted.

Before he left, Charlie called Seever and asked her to get the tee times from the country club, for today and a couple dates in the past when according to his own surveillance notes that Jack Reese was also there - ostensibly playing golf.

Seever told him that 18 holes of golf took about four hours to play, longer if you walked the course. She did so without question or comment. A neat little Adobe PDF was in his inbox by the time he cam back from jogging. He reviewed it, but saw nothing glaring and didn't take the time to compare the lists.

He quietly showered and crawled into bed where Dani mumbled something unintelligible and snuggled close to his warm body. Max collapsed in an exhausted heap at the foot of the bed and they slept in the long afternoon light – sound, comfortable and safe.

* * *

><p>When he woke, Dani and Max were gone. He knew without even having to wonder, she'd be downstairs pouring over the new data. Even though he hadn't told her about it, she'd find it on the island in the kitchen and figure it out. He threw on a pair of sweatpants and found his way downstairs still stretching and yawning.<p>

"Hey," he mumbled into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Mmm," she said distractedly, until his lips met her skin. Then he felt her straighten as an electric current traveled through her. _Hello lover_, her body said. It wasn't something she could control or something she ever wanted to. She turned in her seat to face him. He stepped between her legs and cupped her face with both hands as he bent to kiss her fully and completely.

"What did you find?" he asked without missing a beat when they broke from his long slow kiss.

"That I missed you," she said in an unusual display of affection.

Perhaps she had taken their earlier disagreement to heart and decided to be kinder to him he thought. "What did you miss the most? My devilish good looks? My deceptively strong body? Or other parts?" he teased in a low tone in her ear. He could feel her reaction to him strengthen as she pulled him tighter against her thighs and hips.

She shook her head. She'd already said too much. Dani was reluctant to admit affection and she had to go slowly.

"I'll tell you what I missed," he offered. "Seeing you bite your bottom lip while you puzzle over something and the way your eyes crinkle at the corners when your figure something out," he informed. "Just here," he kissed one corner of her eye near the temple, "and here," then the other. "I missed…"

"Shut up, Charlie and kiss me," she demanded. Her appetite for him was increasing. Whether it was practice and skill or hormones he couldn't tell and didn't really care. He started to peel clothes off her and then stopped.

"Let's go back to bed," he pulled her gently by the wrist. "I'd like to start this day over and go slowly. And I don't need Ted being hospitalized if he walks in here and catches us," he explained. "Ted's a little afraid of your father."

"Everyone is a little afraid of my father," she responded.

"Except me," he commented.

"Yes," she admitted. "I don't know what you're afraid of Crews."

"Just that you'll fall out of love with me," he said candidly.

"I don't think that's possible," she said in an uncharacteristic display of niceness.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sashimi – Chapter Eighteen**

Their collaborative review of the golf tee times revealed two men Jack Reese played golf with each time they met – consistently. They were Andrew Sampson and Chuck Reedy. The third man of the foursome varied. He could have been involved of a bodyguard or lackey used to round out the team for the sake of appearances. Neither name was on their list of common criminals from the mug books so they both bore more scrutiny.

Crews called Seever to have her run both names in the Department computer system, looking for a hit, something that would tell him who they were and what that meeting meant. In the meantime, they had to wait. Dani was turning the names over in her head trying to determine if there was some glimmer of recognition when Charlie interrupted her with a question that completely threw her off track.

"So…did you have a chance to tell your dad about us?" he wondered.

His tone was light and he tried to intimate a lack of interest in her answer, while she knew better; he was very interested and she was surprised he made it this long without asking. Generally, Charlie had no filter when it came to things that popped into his head.

She was amused rather than annoyed. "How long you been waiting to ask me that?"

"Two days, seventeen hours and forty-seven minutes," he grinned and winked for good measure, "give or take." He was proud of his restraint, "pretty good huh?"

"I'm impressed," she deadpanned, "you normally have the impulse control of a seven year old off his Ritalin and no, I didn't tell him," she answered the original question.

"Oh," was his only reaction, but the way he said it made him appear wounded. He hid is disappointment quickly, but she knew some explanation was in order.

"It wasn't because I'm embarrassed about us. I'm not embarrassed about us," she sighed heavily and when he failed to look at her she made him with her hands. "Charlie, he knows about us. In fact it was just about all he wanted to discuss – you and me – to quote him "shacked up together." At this Charlie scowled darkly, but she continued undeterred, "I don't know how to explain it except to say that everything with my father is tainted, dirty and tarnished. I don't want him involved with us. We're different. It's….we're…" she ran out of words and just looked at him.

"Better than that?" he offered.

"Yes, a lot better," she seemed relieved he understood. "We exist outside my old life. It's almost as if I…"

"Was reborn?" he supplied when she again lacked the ability to finish her emotion in speech, "almost as if you were reborn?"

"Exactly," she sounded happy he understood.

She wouldn't be the least bit interested in the Zen parallel, so he kept that to himself. He nodded knowingly and smiled.

"And to tell you the truth, as much as I want my mother to know, particularly about the baby, I know her - she'll tell him and I don't want my father around our kid." She ended her speech sounding both determined and defiant. There was even little mother bear there – defending her as yet, unborn young from her father's meanness.

Charlie's eyes became inscrutable, hazy and his smile morphed into that lazy smile that intimated bliss. She knew it was something she'd said, but for the life of her she couldn't divine what. She stood with her hands on her hips with an unspoken question on her lips.

He understood her completely; supplying the explanation she wanted without her ever having to actually form the question. "You said 'our kid'," he told her gently.

She blushed but understood. It was important to him that she accepted them together – in everything now. It wasn't 'her kid' – it was their kid – them together and since she'd given it no thought - it was how her heart accepted them and her brain though of them – as a team in everything. Her soft smile told him she understood.

"I don't think we should keep calling out baby an 'it' either," she ventured. "There's a test they can do after five weeks that tells you the sex," she informed him.

"So you know?" he asked eagerly.

"Uh, yeah," she smirked. "When have you ever known me to be able resist knowing something? Even if it's something I shouldn't, even if it's something I would rather not know?" she highlighted one of what she felt was her worst qualities.

"You are kinda curious," he grinned, "but I consider it one of your more endearing qualities." His view differed from her's, "So…are you gonna tell me?"

"Do you wanna know?" she shot back. "Be sure. Because once you know – you know," she cautioned.

"I think I wanna know. Do I wanna know? I guess I wanna know," he argued with himself for her benefit – aloud. "Yes, tell me," he decided firmly.

"He," she emphasized the word, "will be arriving around September according to best estimates." She could help the grin that covered her face when she said it.

Charlie looked both amazed and then slightly befuddled.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Uh – no," he covered quickly.

"But?" she tried to coax more from him. There was something else there beneath the effervescent bubbling surface of her widely grinning partner.

"We're gonna have girls, too?" he asked shyly. "Later," he qualified at her stern look, "much later."

"You'd want little girls?" she wondered.

"If they look like you? Absolutely!" he exclaimed with vigor.

"My father was so disappointed that he had a girl," she remarked sadly. She seemed far away and lost in her past when she said it.

"Well," he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm not and I love that we're having a boy, but later little girls would be nice. You know?" he whispered in her ear with his lips brushing her temple. "Someone I can spoil, since you won't let me spoil you," he tempted.

"Hmmm," she mused. "For now, you're gonna have to amuse yourself with a son Crews," she commented. "A son that I want my father to have nothing to do with," she made him vow.

"You have my word on a stack of the religious publication of your choosing," he vowed solemnly. "Our son will be kept as far away from both our fathers as human will and our money will allow," he promised. After a moment, he ventured into the real reason for her quandary, "and your mom?"

"Yeah," she ran her hand through her hair, which seemed to have gotten longer overnight. "I hate keeping this from her. Not this," she gestured back and forth with a finger between the two of them; "this, him," she touched her belly.

His hand covered hers, "then don't. Tell her how you feel about him. How he makes you feel and trust that she'll understand."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you won't regret not having tried," he offered. "You can always step away from them both, but I don't think that's what you want."

"What about what you want?" she wondered quietly and looked at him intently.

"Well, my mom adores you," he joked. It was their shared inside joke, the trip to his mother's grave to introduce Dani to his dead mother.

She smirked at him, but understood the gesture and its importance.

"And my dad? Well, he doesn't even really like me," he teased.

"Then why's he keep trying so hard?" she asked him a hard question. "Even after you accidentally shot him – he came back, kept coming back? Why?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. He considered the effort in his brain for a moment, but he'd thought about it a lot and he'd never gotten past what he initially concluded. He explained what he thought to his mate.

"My dad and I never got on. Too much alike according to my mom, but I don't see it," his expression showed distaste for his mother's opinion.

Dani only met Charlie's father once; on the day Charlie was shot. But Crews Sr. was more interested in getting home than in Charlie's condition and it annoyed her. She didn't remark on it or the extremely attractive redhead years junior to Charles Crews Senior who picked him up. She – Olivia she'd introduced herself with a charming smile – seemed quite concerned about Charlie. Dani was certain she hated Olivia.

Charlie continued, "Ever since I was a kid it's been this way. For him, it's never about me, it's always about him – how I make him look to his friends. Before when I was in prison, he wouldn't even let her come see me; then I got out, got the settlement, got cleared, I guess I got some notoriety and now here he is again. But he's not here for me, he's here for him – that much I know, that much I'm sure of."

"Sure hope we do better than our parents," she mused looking down.

"We can't do much worse," he quipped and then asked a question he already knew the answer to, "you hungry?"

"Famished," she admitted.

"How about you Max?" Charlie good-naturedly addressed the sometimes forgotten pet. "Could you go for pizza?" He picked up the phone. Max barked in agreement and his tongue lolled to one side. Pizza was one of four words he knew well; the others being walk, ride, and run.

"And none of that wing-ding fruit cake stuff either," Dani chastised. "I want real pizza Crews," she warned heading upstairs, "with meat."

Charlie ordered pizza, getting both a large Hawaiian pizza for him and a large 'meat lovers' pie for Dani and the mutt. "Should be here in 30 minutes," he called up the stairs.

He was answered by a groggy "wake me when it gets here. Max and I are taking a nap," from his mate. He looked down to notice the dog had slunk upstairs while he wasn't looking.

It was early afternoon and yet Dani was both hungry and tired. Dani's gym routine was pretty grueling so she was by no means a slacker, but the baby was taking a lot out of her. But for the first time since he'd known her, Dani was listening to her body, not abusing it. She ate when hungry, slept when tired and his money have them the luxury to work when they wanted.

It wasn't an idyllic life, but it beat staying one step ahead of the LAPD and leading two lives – LAPD Detective and part time conspiracy theorist / private detective. As hard as he'd fought to get back to that old life, he found he didn't miss it at all. She, they, and their future son consumed every ounce of his waking attention. Even his long sought after conspiracy fell by the wayside in the wake of their advancing life together. Instead of fighting to hold onto to his hurt, his anger, the old pains, he just let it all go. What filled his life now was imminently better.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sashimi – Chapter Nineteen**

Dani arranged to meet with her mother, but Charlie insisted on taking her there. The location she selected was a quiet and private a coffee shop they often visited together often. Her mother knew and liked it. It had tremendous coffees and teas and though Dani's doctor counseled caffeine abatement, she drew the line at giving up coffee. The doctor gulped hard and reconsidered under the heat of her glare. He admitted it might not be that bad for her or the baby. Charlie, who knew better than to come between Dani and her legal drug, just shrugged and accepted it.

He dropped her there and went to meet Seever to pick up what she'd been able to dig up on Sampson and Reedy. It turned out they weren't criminals; they were both former cops. In a Department as big as LAPD; 25,000 strong, there were a lot of cops who never knew each other, but there had to be a connection.

"Everything is connected," he'd said and Dani smiled knowing he was right.

As he leaned to kiss her goodbye, he whispered "decaf" and grinned as he pulled back. That grin vanished as he noticed Jack Reese mirroring his actions with Dani's mother in a silver Cadillac on the opposite curb. A look passed between the two men that contain unbridled hate on both sides. _Strange,_ he thought, _that two men who hated each other so completely, could love two women who were more alike than they'd ever care to admit. _ It puzzled Charlie, but he put it aside for later self-examination. It was something he needed to consider at length.

"And don't follow my father," Dani chided, leaning back into the car knowing his thoughts and having seen what he saw. Charlie scowled. "I mean it, Crews," she warned. "Let it go," she told him sternly but smiled at the end of her warning. "I know you," she grinned, "you'll just get into trouble."

"Scout's honor," he promised and his pretend smile turned real under her hard look. He couldn't hide from her; she knew him - for better or worse; his good habits and his worst fears. "I promise, honey," he reinforced. "Straight to the station, straight home," he vowed.

Reedy and Sampson were also SWAT; Jack Reese grew up under their tutelage. Both men were long gone from the Department by the time Charlie attended the Academy. Dani was still in diapers when her father joined SWAT, but by the time she was twelve he was the Commander of the SWAT unit. The conspiracy, if that's what this was, went back decades and reached into a past that preceded his lifetime. It was troubling and interesting at the same time.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile in the coffee shop….<em>

"Mom," Dani began after their beverages were served and sugar stirred in. Dani was hungry, but the Danish she ordered sat untouched on a white ceramic plate. Her coffee was too hot to drink, but she blew on it to help it along and then began, "I need you to understand how Dad makes me feel, how he's always made me feel."

"Unworthy," her mother finished with finality and secure in the knowledge she was correct. It was how Jack made her feel too.

"Yes," Dani exhaled in acknowledgement and relief.

"For this I owe you a thousand apologies," her mother began. "In my country, the land of my father, men treat women thus. We are revered for our worth, but not accepted as equals to men. I wanted better for you, but I allowed your father to treat you as less than he would have a son. But I have always been proud of our Dani," she apologized.

It was a long overdue admission and the completeness of it stunned Dani. Tears that she never shed pricked at her eyes, _damned hormones!_ Her mother reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "I don't want any child of yours to ever feel as you do," her mother offered.

She looked at her mother in a way she never had before, with sympathy. Dani didn't grow up in Iran, she didn't know that way of life. She understood the language, but not the life.

"Your young man, your Charlie," her mother offered," he'd make a fine father and I don't think any child of his would feel unworthy – boy or girl."

Dani canted her head trying to divine if her mother knew or had just made a particularly prescient comment. _She couldn't know could she?_ _Maybe Charlie was right, maybe she could tell her. _ "Can you know something? Something big and not tell Dad about it?" Dani wondered partly to herself and partially to her mother.

"He has asked you to marry?" her mother said sounded like she was guessing, but based on Charlie's statement she was fairly certain of her chances of being correct.

"Yes, but…" Dani began.

"And you have consented to marry him?" Her mother's smile was beatific.

"Yes, I have, but…" Dani tried to continue, but was interrupted by her mother rising from the table and hugging her. Her joy was uncontainable and Dani grinned broadly. It was a pretty big deal for a girl who'd formerly been unattached for a reason and for a very long time. Love was remarkable any place you found it.

"Are you happy?" her mother pulled back and then squeezed her again excitedly.

"Pretty happy," Dani admitted grinning. "I'm really…pretty happy," she laughed as her mother hugged her again. "Mom," she insisted, "there's more," she said placing her mother back into her seat and trying to calm her. The little coffee shop had seen more excitement in the past five minutes than it had all week. The grey haired lady who made the braked goods smiled patiently.

"I need you to swear that you won't you know… tell Dad," Dani insisted. "Can you? Will you keep this secret from him?"

"But what can be better than this?" her mother bubbled. Dani demanded an answer to her first question with a decidedly pointed stare. "Yes, yes… I can keep a secret from your father, Dani. What is it?"

"Charlie and I are...we're having….uh, I'm…Mom, I'm pregnant," Dani stammered but finally got the news out.

Her mother stared at Dani for a long time and then the realization of the enormity of what her daughter said permeated. "How do you expect me to keep a child from your father?" she asked curiously.

Dani hadn't really considered the practical side of things, only the emotion she attached to not having her child endure Jack Reese's meanness and spite.

"I understand you want to protect your child, Dani," her mother patiently explained sipping from her tea, which had cooled. She nibbled on a cake before phrasing her response. "He will know, he will find out. I will not tell him if that is your wish, but these things have a way of coming to light. Have you thought about this?"

"No," Dani admitted.

"Perhaps, your young man, your Charlie, he could…." Her mother offered.

"That's a bad idea, Mom," Dani objected. "Dad did things, hurt Charlie – Mom," she tried to explain. "Dad hurt him years ago in a way, Charlie can never forget or forgive," she continued.

"Is he the one who wants to keep this child from your father?" Dani's mother pressed.

"No," she shook her head. "It's not him, it's me, Mom. I want him to have a chance to know happiness and not feel judged the way I did – the way I still do."

"You are having a boy?" she asked.

Dani's broad smile accompanied a curt nod, "but Charlie wants girls. Later…he said he wants little girls."

"And what do you want Dani? Is this the life you envisioned? The one you dreamed of?" her mother pressed.

"No," Dani laughed. "My choices have been a reaction to Dad for so long now… First I wanted to pleased him, which I couldn't do; then impress him, which I couldn't do; then piss him off, which seemed to be the only thing I could manage. Mom, I looked down one day and could no longer remember what I was doing and why," she explained. Her mother nodded in understanding.

"Then I met Crews," she smiled and it was brought to mind by thoughts of the madness and infuriation Crews brought her in their first year together.

"And does he make you happy?" her mother probed.

"No, he can't do that," Dani felt her way through her answer more than knowing what she'd say. "But I'm happy with him. He doesn't expect anything from me. He doesn't judge me. He knows I'm far from perfect, but he loves me, he respects my opinion and I feel like we fit together. I can't really explain it, but he's the one - I know it."

"I think you just did explain it," her mother confided. "I will respect your wishes, but the time will come for you to tell your father. You must tell him how he makes you feel – it is the only way he can learn," she excused Jack because she loved him.

"Mom," Dani told her with pained look, "Dad knows how he makes me feel. I don't think he's interested in learning anything – least of all from me. He's been like this for almost as long as I can remember."

"But he was not always like this," her mother commented. "You remember a time when he was different; when we were different. Do you remember that time Dani?"

"Yeah, Mom – I do. But he's not that man anymore. He knows about my relationship with Crews, but I'm not going to tell him the rest and I don't want you to either."

"I'll keep your secret, Dani," her mother vowed, "but secrets have their own way of finding the light and they can spawn many troubles, my daughter. Many troubles and much sorrow," she foretold her fears.

* * *

><p>Charlie kept his promise, but Jack Reese made no such vow. As his daughter's partner turned paramour left the coffee shop, her father followed at a discreet distance. He watched Crews meet with Seever, learning the younger man still had an active interest and contacts in the Department long after he and Dani both professed to leaving that life behind. Seever was a rising star in the Department and many saw a bright future for the young woman. Jack was not impressed.<p>

When Crews stopped at a market for fresh fruit, Jack left his car and walked up behind the younger man. Charlie felt him behind him and surprised Reese, by speaking to him without turning around, "thought you were gonna skulk back there in the shadows all day."

Reese retorted immediately, "I wanna know what you're doing with my daughter."

"Do you now?" Charlie said smiling and his eyes glittering. "Well, a gentleman does not kiss and tell," he answered the question without answering the question.

"You're no gentleman. All the money in the world won't make you any better than me, Crews," Jack menaced, but being in public place he kept his tone low.

"I'm no gentleman, Jack. That's the one thing I'll give you," Charlie picked two cantaloupes and handed them to the attendant of the fruit market who bagged them for him. He silently paid the woman and waved off the change. "Now…you really here to try and scare me off your daughter?"

"I would, Crews." He held Charlie's eyes, "but word is that you don't scare easy."

"That would be correct," Charlie's clipped response came on the wind as he moved to the next stand and collected a bag from the shopkeeper and began collecting an assortment of apples. "So go away, stop wasting your time and mine."

Reese chuckled. "Why her Crews? Why Dani? She's not important. She knows nothing. You can't use her to manipulate me."

At this Charlie, spun anger clearly in his countenance and a harsh retort on his lips, but he breathed deeply and let it slide away. "You are just like my father. This isn't about you. It was never about you. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I love her? We're going to get married and…" he stopped just shy of giving away a secret that wasn't his to tell. He was still angry and that made him rash.

"And what?" Jack's response dripped acid and sarcasm. "You're going to live the fairy tale, convict? Happily ever after?"

"I can't promise that, but I'll try… to make her happy… to love her as best I can. You just don't get it do you? Dani is a wonderful woman. She's difficult and complex, but worth every ounce of effort it takes to love her. You fail to see that. You have hurt her for the last time, Jack. Stay away from my family."

Crews' shadow covered the elder Reese and his breath moved the whiskers on Reese's thick mustache. He menaced, but did not strike. Dani would not want him to.

"Your family?" Jack scoffed and something in Charlie's eyes gave him away. He tried to shut it away, but Jack Reese was a cop for thirty years and he pounced on Charlie's slip. "Is she? She's pregnant isn't she?" Jack stammered.

Crews' eyes slid away and Jack had his answer. When Charlie looked up, the man had vanished. He closed his eyes, tipped his head back and swore a silent curse. Dani was going to tear his head off when she found out he'd told her father albeit unintentionally. No amount of explaining was going to satisfy her temper when she found out. He groaned and slung his fruit into the backseat angry at himself. His temper made him rash and she was right, he'd just gotten himself into trouble.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sashimi – Chapter Twenty**

He was sitting in the car, rehearsing how he was going to tell Dani that he'd accidentally told her father about the baby, when he saw her walk arm in arm from the coffee shop with her mother. They were both smiling and happy. Charlie wanted to hit his head against the steering wheel, but instead he climbed from the car and pasted a plastic smile on his face. Dani would presume it was for the benefit of her mother and it might buy him sometime.

Roya Reese hugged her daughter and kissed her as one would a small child. He realized that children are always children to their mother's and he flashed to a moment he'd tried to forget. His mother fixing his tie and smoothing his hair before the last day in court, the day they read the impossible verdict and his life, the one he knew, vanished forever. His last memory was being lead away in stunned disbelief, handcuffed and his mother's blue eyes filled with tears for him falling away from him, becoming distant in the gallery.

"Hi," he said a bit too cheerfully. Dani eyed him suspiciously so he turned his enthusiasm down a notch. "Could we give you a lift home?" Charlie offered to Dani's mom.

"No, thank you…Charlie," she smiled broadly at him. "I have some shopping to do at the market around the corner and I will phone my husband when I'm nearly done."

"Well, okay then," he seemed as nervous as he was. He jingled the keys in his hands.

"Congratulations, baba," Dani's mother invoked a Farsi term for dad.

Charlie's expression was surprise, happiness and embarrassment all rolled together. He seemed to understand the word though he couldn't possibly know it. His gaze flickered to Dani and the amused smile she wore made him blush furiously.

He turned to Roya and said in a voice only she could hear, "I told you I was gonna marry her," gesturing with his thumb and the mute, yet smiling Dani.

Charlie raised voice as he spoke to his mate, "Let's go, honey."

She growled audibly at him in response.

He grinned and kissed her lightly trailing his hand down his face. "Um," he offered quietly against her temple, "we gotta talk."

She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the car, "first tell me what you got from Seever."

"Well, I didn't really have time to look at it yet," he at least acted chagrinned.

"What could have been more important than…," she began and then the plastic bags in the backseat attracted her attention. "Fruit? Seriously? You decided that fruit shopping was more important than….oh, forget it," she brushed the ire off and got in the car.

"I like to think of it as – I waited for my partner," he replied.

"Oh, you do huh?" she replied a hint of her prior sarcasm present in her tone, but her talk with her mother had gone well. He could tell as soon as he saw her face and that look, that contentment he wanted to let last. He could tell her about the encounter with her father later, he reasoned.

* * *

><p>"I'm taking Max," she announced. She was dressed before him, as usual. Her jogging ensemble was a little tighter than usual in interesting places. Charlie's gaze lingered, but then it usually did when they went running.<p>

"Did you hear me?" she asked pulling the ear buds from her ears and leveling a blistering gaze at him. "Charlie?"

"Uh, yeah," he snapped out of his reverie. In reality only part of his mind was occupied with ogling her cleavage and derriere, the rest of his mind was figuring out precisely when and how he was going to tell Dani about his conversation with her father.

"I'm doing a long one today," she announced. "Could you get…"

"Coffee, yeah sure," he finished knowing her thoughts and wishes. He cocked his head considering the intelligence of the question he was pondering. "Is it safe for you to you know?" he made jogging motions by swinging his arms like a runner did, "you know with the…" he tried to gingerly approach the subject.

"You mean is it safe to run with the baby?" she was annoyed at his obliqueness. "Yes," she replied succinctly, "perfectly safe and with the way I've been eating I have to do something." She examined her profile in the mirror and was not happy with what she saw.

"I think you look great," he rumbled in her ear as he wound his arms around her and rested his hands over a tiny bulge in her belly. "You always look great to me," his tone was low and seductive.

"Don't do that," she pushed him roughly away. For a moment he thought she was angry, but she turned and explained. "You do that and we'll never leave the house. When you do that, talk in my ear in that low bedroom tone," she wagged her finger at him. "Just save that for later," she smiled and replaced the ear buds. She clipped a leash on the excited dog and tiptoed to kiss him on his cheek before she left.

Charlie decided to forgo running in favor of meditation, but he was still seated in a lotus position when Dani returned and there was no coffee waiting. She watched him from the kitchen window. Something had been troubling him all day yesterday and it had not loosened it's grip on him with a good night's sleep. She knew it had something to do with his meeting with Seever and it was high time he told her what it was.

She filled a bowl with fresh water for Max and told the little dog to stay. Then she opened the French doors and walked to the patio where she stood in front of Crews blocking the yellow sun from his pale face. His eyes blinked open and he smiled slightly. "I didn't get the coffee yet," he admitted.

"Yes, I can see that," she replied. "Tell me what you're not telling me," she demanded. Charlie puzzled over the way Dani could say Zen things without meaning to for a split second before her hand was extended to help him rise and the thought fled.

He climbed to his feet and noticed she'd not showered. She was so onto him. They took seats under a large umbrella Ted bought for shade on the porch, which received strong morning sun. "I saw your dad yesterday. I didn't mean to, I didn't want to, but it happened – and he knows," he confessed. He felt better the instant he told her, but it didn't mean he didn't fear her anger.

"You told him?" she questioned warily.

"Not intentionally, but I got angry and let something slip. He was a cop for thirty years, Dani. I guess he read it," he seemed ashamed. "I was being cocky, protective and I told him to stay away from my family."

"Hmmm," she mused. Her mother was right. Secrets have a way of finding the light.

"So…" he interrupted her thoughts, "how mad are you? Sleep on the couch mad? Or call off the wedding mad? Scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being the worst…" he chattered nervously.

"Will you take a shower with me?" she asked changing the subject.

"Uh, yeah…" he stammered surprised by her lack of reaction. "Wait," he arrested her movement by grabbing her elbow, "you aren't mad at me?"

"Do you want me to be?" she teased.

"Uh-uh," he shook his head vigorously. "It's just I did exactly what you didn't want me to."

"Just like you always do, Crews," she pulled him with her. "I've accepted that about you. Whether you meant to or not, it's done. It can't be undone, but I don't see the sense in fighting about it."

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" he goaded. "Cause I was expecting an ass kicking or at the least a very serious tongue lashing?"

"Who says you won't be getting a tongue lashing?" she pulled him into the nearest wall and kissed him hard. "Hmm?"

He growled his want and enthusiastically pursued his goal. This was punishment he'd enjoy. He didn't speak anymore after that, his mouth was busy with other things. He licked sweat from her neck tasting the salt of her sweat. She tasted sweet to him like an exotic fruit. His thoughts wandered to the valley between her breasts, but a jog bra stood in his way. It was no match for his determined advance. He divested her of the offending garment and made her squirm against the wall while he kissed her belly gently and then worked his way up her front to visit at both sites of pleasure.

Max raised his head off the cool tile and examined his humans doing those noisy things they seemed to enjoy. He put his head back down and fell into a deep exhausted sleep. He was worn out and no one paid attention to him during these prolonged sessions between his mistress and master anyway.

Determined to make up for his error with a long luxurious morning of foreplay, he lifted her and carried her up the stairs to the waiting bed. She used to protest when he carried her, but today her mouth was more concentrated on the delicate strap muscles of his neck. He felt her hot breath in his ear and not a moment too soon arrived at the foot of their bed. They silently undressed watching each other and climbed into bed. The only other words he spoke were the echoes of "I love you, I love you, I love you," that escaped him as he climaxed.

She held her sweaty lover against her chest as he tried to regain his breath. She dragged her nails along his scalp and then rubbed his exposed shoulder kneading the tight muscle there. He felt the tension in his body leave. She told him it was okay and everything would work out and for the first time when she said those words, she believed them.

_**Author's Note:**__ I'm going to end Sashimi here and pick up with a new story, using this same setting after the birth of their son. Initial chapters will go up before Christmas. I'd like to thank everyone who's been supportive and encouraging in this character driven story arc. It might not seem that much has happened to move the conspiracy bit forward, but the wheels are in motion for the next adventure. _

_I got some comments that the plot was lacking, but this was primarily a character driven piece. I intended to dig at what made Charlie and Dani the people they are and why they compliment each other once they allow themselves to be real to one another. Many of us are battling, battle our entire lives, things that begin in childhood; they affect every facet of our lives. This is my attempt to understand that – for these characters and for myself. _


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